JEDDAH, 27 August 2004 — The newly established women’s section of the passport department in Jeddah is already busy processing women’s applications.

Sameeha Abid has been appointed director of the section, supervising four other women, all university graduates. More will be employed after completing their training and orientation.

Fatima Al-Otaibi is the director of the Riyadh section.

There are plans to open women’s sections in other Saudi cities to serve women — Saudis and expatriates.

Their job is to review the files of the applicants and pass them to the appropriate department, handling mainly entry and exit visas and renewing and issuing iqamas. They all went through a seminar on entering data in the computer and correctly filling in the appropriate forms.

Abid told Al-Hayat newspaper that they receive around 40 women every day with the number increasing to 70 a day during vacations. Although Abid is dressed in the official uniform, she does not have an official military title.

Women have received the decision to open these sections enthusiastically.

Zain Alawi is a 70-year-old widow with no children.

“It’s great that I can now renew my passport or file the paperwork for my maid and driver without having to ask my brother or my nephew, even though they don’t mind,” she told Arab News, “but why be a burden?”

Reem, a divorcee with two children, felt the same way.

“It’s too bad that I have to depend on my father or my brother to take care of simple matters when I’m capable of doing that, so I’m glad this is one less thing to burden them with and instead be of service to them,” she said.

Businesswomen are particularly happy with the decision.

“It’s not going to solve all our problems but it’s a good step and I hope more government departments will do the same so that we won’t have to depend on the agent,” said Najat Ali.

Owning and managing a hair salon, Najat has many expatriate women working for her and she often needs to file papers with the passport department. “I used to pay the agent to do that for me but now I don’t have to.”