RIYADH: The United Kingdom has issued 22,500 visas to Saudi citizens over the past three months, with 10,000 going to scholarship students.

There were 110,000 issued in 2013 and 116,000 in 2014, British Ambassador Simon Collis was quoted as saying recently. Most applications from Saudis are for tourist visas, followed by visit visas and short-term work and study visas, he said.

Applications tend to increase during the summer season, with many priority applications granted within three to four working days. Only about 1 percent of applications are rejected, he said.

Approval takes place within five working days, compared to up to 15 days for other countries. He denied claims that the embassy is rejecting visa applications from countries such as Yemen and Syria. Every application is reviewed on its own merits, and based on British law, he said.

The increasing requests for tourism and student visas annually reflects the close relationship between the Kingdom and the UK, he said. The embassy communicates with Saudi nationals via social and other media on visa issues, including how to convert visas and the financial guarantees required.

He said Britain attracts many Saudi citizens every year, after countries such as Malaysia and France. There are 14,000 Saudi scholarship students studying in Britain.

The Kingdom is also one of Britain’s largest trading partners in the Middle East. British imports amount to nearly SR18 billion annually while Saudi exports to Britain amounted to nearly SR13 billion. More than 200 British-Saudi joint projects are currently in place, with investments amounting to close to SR18 billion.