"Our businessmen are frustrated by their inability to obtain entry visas quickly let alone the multiple-entry visas," he told the business daily Al-Eqstisadiah.
He revealed that the UK was determined to launch a priority service to Saudis wishing to visit Britain. "Under the new service to be launched soon, entry visas to Saudis will be granted in maximum time of three days only," he said.
Cockle said the consulate was asking British businessmen and investors to follow up on their business in Saudi Arabia and increase personal contacts with their Saudi counterparts through repeated visits to the Kingdom.
"Our businessmen complain that it takes them a long time to obtain an entry visa to the Kingdom. One of them said he went to the Saudi Embassy in London four times to obtain a single entry visa," he said.
According to him, there are about 200 British companies doing business in Saudi Arabia and trade between the two countries was close to 7 billion pounds.
