Srinagar, April 8 -- The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority has announced that the e-stopover visa - a convenient option for travelers transiting through the Kingdom - will now be issued only to passengers arriving from or departing to countries designated as "Group A." The revised list includes 18 countries:

Canada, United States, Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and Mauritius.

Travelers from these nations will continue to benefit from the streamlined e-stopover visa process, while others are now excluded under the updated policy.

In a separate but related move, Saudi authorities have imp...