RIYADH, 11 March 2003 — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed diplomatic missions and international organizations in the Kingdom that in the event of a US-led war on Iraq it is prepared to assist in the evacuation of foreign nationals passing through the Kingdom en route to their home countries.
In a circular, the ministry pointed out that the Saudi Embassy in Kuwait will issue free of charge emergency transit visas to the citizens of other countries as long as they hold valid passports.
However, the emergency visa allows a passport-holder to enter the Kingdom only if a war breaks out.
The ministry added that if the Saudi Embassy in Kuwait suspends its activities temporarily, visas will be issued free of charge at the entry points on the Kingdom’s borders after the missions have drawn up a list of the names and passport numbers of their respective citizens intending to use the transit facility in the Kingdom.
Kuwait is the only nation bordering Iraq which has so far publicly agreed to host ground troops for a possible invasion, setting aside half its land area for more than 140,000 US and British troops. This has made the country a possible target of Iraqi retaliation in the event of an attack.
