Kuwaiti citizens will also enjoy the same privilege when traveling to Saudi Arabia.

“This decision comes following the implementation of the joint communiqué issued by the interior ministries of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, making it clear that it will be applied to all land, sea and air entry points effective from Oct. 22, 2010,” a statement from Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said.

The statement also made it clear that the border checkpoints will not accept old identity cards in any form and travelers should carry with them the new smart identity cards with clear photos.

It also noted that using smart identity cards is needed to travel to other Gulf Cooperation Council states and should also be produced for entry and exit procedures.