“Some of our staff lack diplomacy in dealing with passengers and many of them cannot communicate in English,” Lt. Col. Talal Al-Malik, a spokesman for the Passport Department, told the newspaper.

He said groups of 60 officers and privates will be sent to Canada, Australia and other countries to study English for a year. He said the program started last year and would benefit hundreds of their staff.

“The program, under the directives of Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Prince Naif, is aimed at improving the English language of our staff and teaching them how to deal with passengers,” Al-Malik said.

Meanwhile, the Passport Department announced that it will appoint a number of women officers at various exit and entry points to deal with female visitors and travelers.

The directorate also announced that it would intensify the practice of fingerprinting and photographing women visitors to the country.

The department on Monday closed receiving applications for the job of women officers. It said a list of selected applicants will be published shortly.

Only Saudi women with Saudi parentage were eligible to apply, and in case of married women, their husbands must also be Saudi.

Selected applicants should be willing to work both day and night shifts and may have to undergo training in other cities. Only candidates with English language proficiency will be hired. They will be required to produce consent letter from their male guardians.