DAMMAM, 9 November — Interior Minister Naif issued recently a new order amending the jurisdiction of various committees of the general directorate of the Passport Department. While the regulations give the department authority over many new areas, it also takes away some of its jurisdiction in others.
The department will be viewed as a specialized agency dealing with the violations related to residence regulations. From now on, committees affiliated to the department will be responsible for settling disputes related to domestic workers and the prevention of expats pursuing commercial activities. The department can, if required, seek the help of other government departments or security agencies in discharging its duties. It has been handling the arrest, investigation and penal action — including deportation — of expats.
The department will not participate in security patrols, operations related to Saudization, or inspections of rest houses and vegetable markets. However, in cases where residence regulations have been violated and other matters coming under department’s jurisdiction are involved, the Passport Department will cooperate with several other departments, according to the amended regulations.
Col. Rashid Al-Hajeri, director of the Passport Department in the Northern Borders, said the new regulations aim to consolidate the activities of several committees under a single government agency. The domestic workers’ issues were handled previously by different agencies — by the police in some provinces and by the governor’s office in some others. As the new regulations bring all the issues related to expats under the auspices of a single agency, expats will from now on find it easier to solve their problems.
