Sailors working in Saudi waters will need work visas

Foreign sailors will now need work and visitor's visas if they work in regional waters, particularly those employed in the Eastern Province for Saudi Aramco, according to a Border Guard official.
Under the new system, they will no longer be allowed to use their seaman's passport, a document that allows them to enter any country's territorial waters for a set period. They will be able to get visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to comply with Ministry of Labor regulations regarding temporary work permits.
Col. Khalid Al-Arqoubi, security spokesman for the Border Guard Command in the Eastern Region, said the new regulations have been drawn up to further streamline the entry and exit of seamen who work in regional waters but do not enter the Kingdom's mainland.
Al-Arqoubi said the Border Guard is responsible for security in regional waters in the Eastern Region. "Seamen are now required to obtain temporary work permits before they start working in the regional waters; (especially) those who usually work for Saudi Aramco.”
He added that the sailors were previously allowed to use their seaman's passports to work for a maximum of six months in Saudi territorial waters. They will now have to get temporary work permits for their stay. The Border Guard will report violations to the Passport Department.
Foreign sailors will only be allowed into the country for work specified on their permits. If they want to leave at the end of their employment, they will be given an exit permit. If they want to return, they can apply for a multiple entry visa or obtain a new one. Sailors traveling through airports with work permits, will be issued entry cards from Saudi Aramco.
Workers employed on a temporary basis, according to Resolution 325, are required to consult with the owner of their company, agent or employment office, to obtain temporary work permits.
An official at King Abdul Aziz Port, who did not want to be identified, said the new system requires new procedures at the country's ports. The authorities should allocate a 24-hour counter at King Fahd Airport to complete the paperwork of sailors who need to work at the ports of King Abdul Aziz and Ras Tannoura.
He said ships coming in and out of King Abdul Aziz port are on a tight schedule and are not allowed to stay more than three to five hours. "If they want to stop for more than the allowed time, we impose fees that are defined by their cargo. Sometimes the ship leaves without their marine workers, who are detained because of unfinished paperwork at the airport."
A source at the national committee of the Council of Saudi Chambers, said this regulation affects companies that have contracts with Saudi Aramco and not ordinary sailors or ships sailing according to an international identification document known as the “Seaman's Book”. This only affects the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and the port of Ras Tannoura, and certain related sectors in the Eastern Region. He said companies that have contracts with Saudi Aramco will also be affected by this decision.
Some marine transporters at Jeddah Islamic Port said they did not receive any notification about having to get visas, and said the decision perhaps only affects ports in the eastern region.