The Saudi Foreign Ministry has upgraded it branch office in Makkah to meet the growing influx of visitors.

The office is located in Rusaifa but is now being shifted to the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) headquarters on Jeddah road.

Services were previously confined to attestation but have since been enhanced to include other consular services pertaining to the issuance of visas.

Ibrahim Bardesi, the MCCI’s secretary general, has welcomed the ministry’s decision to relocate its premises to the MCCI, which he said would facilitate quicker transactions for businessmen and citizens.

Expats in Makkah have also welcomed the decision, saying that the city is witnessing massive infrastructural projects, including the Grand Mosque expansion, where many expats work.

Expats mainly seek services for obtaining family or visit visas or attesting documents for changing professions, while businessmen seek services related to signing business agreements.

Mujeeb Pookkoottur, a prominent Indian social worker and president of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Center (KMCC), welcomed the decision to upgrade the facility and enhance its services.

Pakistani community worker Kamran Bhut hailed the move, saying it would ease the parking problem encountered at the office’s current location.