Saudis to receive EU visa exemption despite human rights concerns
Saudi Arabian passport, accessed on April 18, 2025. (AFP Photo)
Saudi nationals will soon be exempt from pre-entry visa requirements for European Union countries despite the kingdom’s recent rejection from the U.N. Human Rights Council amid record-breaking execution rates.
Christophe Farnaud, the E.U. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, confirmed that work is underway to exempt Saudi citizens from short-stay visa requirements entirely for travel within the Schengen area, which comprises the E.U.’s 27 member states.
“About a year ago, specifically in April 2024, the European Commission adopted new rules enabling Saudi citizens — and those from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman — to obtain multi-entry visas valid for short stays of up to five years,” Farnaud said.
The ambassador framed these changes as “a meaningful step toward strengthening people-to-people ties and encouraging regular exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Europe,” highlighting Europe’s role in supporting Saudi Arabia’s growing tourism sector.
Saudi Arabia narrowly fails to secure seat at UNHRC
The visa policy development comes just as Saudi Arabia narrowly failed to secure a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council during Wednesday’s elections. In the competitive Asia-Pacific group, the Marshall Islands claimed the final available seat with 124 votes, while Saudi Arabia received 117 votes in the secret ballot.
This marks the second time in four years that the kingdom has been denied a position on the 47-member body, following a similar rejection in 2020.
Saudia Arabia sentences over 300 people to death in 2024
The diplomatic setback coincides with alarming human rights concerns. Saudi Arabia has put over 300 people to death in 2024, according to an AFP tally based on state media reports. Four executions announced on Tuesday — three for drug smuggling and one for murder — brought that year’s total to 303, far exceeding the previous record of 196 executions in 2022.
Taha al-Hajji, legal director of the Berlin-based European Saudi Organisation for Human Rights, condemned the “rocket speed” of executions, calling it “incomprehensible and inexplicable.” Human rights activists had previously warned that Saudi Arabia could exceed 300 executions this year, with nearly one execution recorded almost every day.
Amnesty International ranks Saudi Arabia as executing the third highest number of prisoners globally in 2023, behind only China and Iran.
Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia seeks to reshape its global image by focusing on economic diversification, tourism, and entertainment. However, the country’s human rights record remains a significant point of international criticism.
The Saudi media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the U.N. vote.
