Highlight:
- The Air Bubble deal will take effect on January 1
- Expatriates in the hope of a big drop in ticket prices
- Apart from Indians, people from Nepal and Bhutan are also allowed to travel
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“India and Saudi Arabia now have good relations. As part of this, various events based on cultural exchanges between the two countries will be organized in different parts of Saudi Arabia. Both countries are ready to invest in a number of areas. Branches of Indian universities will soon be opened in Saudi Arabia, ”the ambassador said.
Apart from the Ambassador, Indian Consul General Mohammad Shahid Alam and Commerce Consul Hamna Mariam were also present on the occasion. Only about 100 invited guests from Azir were allowed to enter the event.
Indian expats in Saudi Arabia have been relieved by the entry into force of the Air Bubble Agreement. The agreement will take effect from January 1, the Indian embassy said. It is expected that with the implementation of the agreement, more flights between the two countries will be possible, which will lead to a huge reduction in ticket prices.
According to the Air Bubble Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia with Indian Civil Aviation, people from both countries can travel to and from India and Saudi Arabia by air. Apart from Indians, people from Nepal and Bhutan are also allowed to travel. The aircraft will operate in compliance with Kovid regulations. Expatriates will be relieved by the new air bubble services in the event that international flights are canceled due to fears of Omicron expansion.
The new air bubble deal with Saudi Arabia was reached following the intervention of the central government. Earlier, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had informed Parliament that the process of concluding air bubble agreements with 10 countries, including Saudi Arabia, was in progress. Following this, an agreement was reached between the two countries to operate the contracted flights from January 1. Meanwhile, more details of the deal are yet to come out. India’s ban on international flights on March 23, 2020, following the expansion of Kovid, is still in place. The decision to lift the ban from December 15 this year was taken after the Kovid expansion slowed down a bit, but was re-imposed following the Omicron expansion.
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Due to the non-signing of the Air Bubble Agreement between India and Saudi Arabia, only chartered flights currently operate to Saudi Arabia. So the ticket price to Saudi is around half a lakh rupees. There are situations where seats are not available even if you are willing to pay cash. Saudi Arabian Airlines and Air India will operate more services in the event of a new air bubble agreement. With this, the expatriates are hoping that the air fares for both the routes will come down sharply.
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