RIYADH, February 9. /TASS/. The visa waiver agreement between Russia and Saudi Arabia is expected to come into effect in the second half of this year, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov told reporters.

"It was signed in December, we hope that, taking into account all the procedures and ratifications, it will definitely start working in the middle or in the second half of this year," he said on the sidelines of the Innoprom exhibition in Saudi Arabia.

TASS is the exhibition's general information agency.