RIYADH, 16 October — Saudi nationals visiting Singapore must in future obtain a visa and secure a sponsor in the Southeast Asian state, the Singapore Embassy said yesterday.
In a measure that appears to be linked to the devastating Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States, the restrictions will also be imposed on nationals from Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and Sudan.
"Starting Oct. 13 and continuing indefinitely, Saudi nationals holding government, diplomatic and ordinary passports need a visa and a letter from a sponsor in Singapore to be able to visit the island," an embassy spokesman told Arab News.
The sponsor must guarantee that the visitor will leave Singapore after the visit, but no financial guarantee is needed, he added.
At least half a dozen Saudi nationals figure on US lists of suspects for last month’s anti-US attacks, which Washington believes were masterminded by Osama Bin Laden.
A visit to the Singapore Embassy showed that many Saudis were still queuing up at the consular section to apply for visas. One of the applicants said it would be difficult now to visit trade shows in Singapore if he did not have a sponsor.
He added that it seemed that when Saudi Arabia was being asked to ease visa restrictions other countries should be erecting barriers to hinder visitors from the Kingdom.
Shaukat Naeem Ghuman, a frequent visitor to Singapore, said the decision would have a negative impact on trade and tourism.
"It means that we cannot visit Singapore at short notice on a business mission."
In another development, the presence of Western expatriates in the capital seems much reduced at their favorite haunts, particularly major supermarkets and bookstores.
Western expatriates, usually a familiar sight in these places, are staying away — apparently fearing possible retaliatory action for air strikes in Afghanistan.
Chinese denial
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Riyadh denied yesterday that Beijing has ordered strict limits on the sale of air tickets to passengers from several Middle Eastern and Muslim countries.
"This information is false. Travelers from different countries are welcome on the aircraft of Chinese aviation companies," the embassy said, while stressing the need for travelers to have valid entry visas.
Travel agents in Beijing said on Saturday that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a notice limiting air ticket sales in light of the worldwide terror scare triggered by the attacks in the United States.
The move follows previous indications that the Chinese government, desperate to prevent security gaffes, had also restricted the issuance of visas to people from Middle Eastern countries.
But the Chinese Foreign Ministry said late Saturday that some carriers had gone too far in interpreting the government’s policies.
According to the notice, the countries included Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Sudan, Libya and Algeria. Also included were, under certain unspecified circumstances, passengers from Pakistan, according to the notice published by newspapers.
The move by Singapore will have an adverse impact on the country’s tourism promotion drive targeting Saudi nationals visiting other Southeast Asian and Far-Eastern states. Only business travelers sponsored by their trading partners will be able to visit that country now.
