The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to open its branch office in Al Jouf Province with the aim to serve the large number of Saudi businessmen and expatriates living in the Northern Border areas.

Currently, residents and business organizations in these regions travel to the ministry headquarters in Riyadh, a distance of over 1000 km for certificate attestations and other consular services.

The new office will be set up at the Jouf Chamber of Commerce in Sakaka city, according to officials.

The business and expatriate community has welcomed the move and thanked the authorities.

Hamdan Al-Samrin, president of Jouf Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The decision would accelerate the economic and developmental activities in the regions.”

Mohiuddin Koya, an Indian worker living in Sakaka, , said: “The expatriate community stands to benefit from the new office the most, as we will no longer have to travel to Riyadh, saving both time and money.”

Abdul Hafeez, who works at Jouf University, said: “It is a matter of relief, as expatriates will now be able to process visit and family visas with ease.”

Jouf is the fifth region in the Kingdom to have a branch office of the Foreign Affairs Ministry after Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Qassim.