JEDDAH, 18 November 2002 — Strict visa regulations for travel to the United States have been applied not only to Saudis but also to people of all nationalities, Al-Watan quoted US Consul General in Jeddah Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley as saying yesterday.
Abercrombie-Winstanley expressed hope that formalities such as fingerprinting would not adversely affect Saudi-US relations. She said the US used to be very liberal in its visa regulations in the past. It was when the country was planning to make the regulations strict that the Sept. 11 events took place making it imperative to enforce tighter procedures for entry of foreigners into the US. She also acknowledged that there was a drop in the number of students seeking admission to US institutions. Steps are being taken to encourage them to return to the US, she added.
In her talks with Al-Watan, the new consulate general expressed deep sorrow over a Saudi journalist’s death following delay in getting a visa for special treatment in a US hospital. However, she said she did not have the details that led to the delay. The journalist, who was trying to obtain the visa stamped for four months, died a day after he was issued a visa to Germany.
The US diplomat urged Saudis who wish to visit the US to apply for visa at least 40 days prior to their intended date of travel.
She said a US delegation had visited the Kingdom recently to study the problems experienced by American women married to Saudis with regard to the custody of their children. The delegation comprising Congress members discussed the matter with the ministries of foreign affairs and interior and other related Saudi departments. She attributed the problems of the American mothers to their marrying and coming to the Kingdom without making efforts to learn about Saudi laws and social obligations. The number of Saudis seeking to study or vacation in the US has fallen considerably as they are trying to find other countries for the purpose, the consul general said. This is because they fear embarrassing experiences on the one hand and irksome procedures that may delay their entry to the country for enrollment or examinations in educational institutions on the other.
She believes that the Saudi media have created a fearful impression in their minds by publishing hundreds of stories about harassments and embarrassing experiences of Saudis in the US. Some of these stories are purely fictitious, she said.
Though Winstanley did not consider the mutual smear campaigns in the media of both countries would influence bilateral relations, she feared that their impact on the public opinion and people’s sentiments might be much more dangerous in the long run.
She pointed out that the outcome of mutual mudslinging will be particularly harmful because most Americans know nothing about the Saudis, their customs and traditions, family life or life style or culture. Their knowledge is confined to what appears in the media.
She said mutual misconceptions could be removed by holding cultural dialogues and making efforts to get to know each other. She commended the exchange of visits by Saudi and American students organized in collaboration with a Saudi media establishment.
A number of Saudi students were sent to stay with American families and a similar number of US students were brought to the Kingdom to stay with Saudi families. The US students could clear all their misunderstandings about Saudis and their life styles, she said.
