Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation reaffirmed on Tuesday that the sponsor’s approval is not required for issuing a diving license for expatriates in the Kingdom. “The media report about this was not correct. The federation or any other agency has not made any such a requirement for obtaining a diving license,” the federation said in a press statement.

The federation emphasized that it is the only body authorized to issue diving licenses and that what was published about the requirement of the sponsor’s approval for expatriates to obtain a diving license was incorrect.

The federation’s clarifications came following the publishing of a report by Okaz newspaper stating that the sponsor’s approval is a prerequisite for issuing diving licenses for foreign residents in Saudi Arabia. The report was based on information published on the website of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

This prompted the ministry to send a letter to Okaz, stating that the published news was incorrect. The ministry also sought an official apology from the newspaper.

In the meantime, the ministry deleted the information pertaining to the sponsor’s approval is a prerequisite for expatriates to obtain a diving license from its website and updated the site on Tuesday, Aug. 30.