The ministry’s branch in Jeddah is struggling to handle the number of foreigners wanting to bring their families ahead of the summer vacation and the fasting month of Ramadan.

According to staff there, this time is always busy, especially as customers want to fast with their families in Makkah and Madinah.

"Our waiting halls are teeming with visit visa seekers, especially from countries such as Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, Pakistan and India," said one staff member who did not want to be identified.

"The current upheavals in some Arab countries such as Syria and Yemen and similar incidents that took place before in Tunisia and Egypt might be the reason for the rise in visit visa applications."

The sources said foreigners who were not able to go home because of political incidents preferred to bring their families here. "This is clear from the fact that most of the required visas are for wives and kids in addition to parents," he said.

Rabie Izzeddin, an Egyptian accountant, said he preferred to stay in the Kingdom this year and bring his wife, children and parents to stay with him instead. "This is the first time I am bringing my family to the Kingdom on a visit visa," he said.

According to Izzeddin, obtaining visas for the wife and children was easy, but he needed special approval from the director of recruitment to bring his parents in.

Imad Edlibi, a Syrian from the city of Edlib, said because of current political events in his country he opted to stay and bring his family on a visit visa. "It worked out costlier than me going there but I had no choice," he said.

A number of foreigners complained that there were no adequate notices at the ministry outlining the requirements for a visit visa and where to go when they arrive at the ministry.

"This is a waste of ours and the ministry staff’s time," said Ahmad Al-Ahdal, a marketing manager. He blamed inadequate signage for the large crowds of visa seekers at the ministry.

Al-Ahdal said the receptionist would not answer his queries about the required paperwork and documents and would instead direct him to the clerk to check if the documents were sufficient or not.

Abdul Salam Arshad, a Pakistani accountant, questioned why online applications for visit visas were accepted from some people and refused from others."Why not ensure all procedures were consistent for everyone?" he said.

Arshad said some people would go to the recruitment office in Jeddah to complete the primary paperwork for the visit visa before they take it to the Foreign Ministry, while others do it online.