The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry has declared that it will replace traditional visa stickers with electronic visas in seven countries.

The new initiative, which employs e-visas with QR codes, was launched on May 1st in the Saudi Arabian embassies located in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, India, Philippines, and Indonesia.

The move is a part of the ongoing efforts to automate procedures, enhance the quality of consular services provided by the ministry.

The ministry has a goal to create a system for issuing visas that utilizes the latest technology and improve the mechanism for issuing work permits, residence visas, and visit visas.

Last year, the ministry introduced a “personal visit” visa that can be applied for through their website’s e-visa service form and allows visitors to stay for up to 90 days and travel throughout Saudi Arabia, including the holy cities and Umrah.

Saudi Arabia has been working towards simplifying visa procedures and easing visa rules, which has resulted in more tourists and foreign businesses coming into the country.

Additionally, the announcement comes amidst discussions of a possible unified regional visa system resembling the Schengen arrangement among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.