Iran announced on Thursday that it was eliminating visa requirements for 33 nations, including Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia, with which it had tense relations for many years before a recent thaw.
“The ministry of tourism believes that an open-door policy will showcase Iran’s determination to engage with different countries of the world,” according to the semi-official ISNA. According to the statement, the decision will raise to 45 the number of nations or regions whose citizens are permitted entry into Iran without a visa.
After years of hostility between the two Gulf rivals that produce oil, the action is another step towards improving relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran in particular.
In March, an agreement mediated by China restored full diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had been severed in 2016.
In addition to Bahrain, with whom Tehran has not yet fully restored ties, citizens of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and other countries are exempt from the need for a visa.
ISNA provided a comprehensive list of the countries, and it included Lebanon, Tunisia, India, and a number of Central Asian, African, and “Muslim” countries. There was only one Western-allied country on the list: Croatia, a tiny NATO and EU member. “Russians will only profit from this visa exemption if they are visiting the country in groups,” ISNA added.
Until recently, Omani nationals were granted visa-free entry into Iran.
Iranian media said on Wednesday that Iranian pilgrims will start visiting Saudi Arabia regularly on December 19 for the first time in eight years.
