The Indian Consulate yesterday urged its citizens preparing to leave Saudi Arabia not to purchase airline tickets before they receive their final exit stamp from the deportation center.
Consulate officials made the plea after many expats were unexpectedly turned away Tuesday at the King Adulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Immigration officials said expats should leave from the airport nearest to the city where their iqama was issued.
Illegal workers had expressed frustration and concern because many had borrowed money to purchase low airfare tickets that are not refundable.
Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai told Arab News that individuals who had completed the fingerprinting process should next obtain their final exist stamp, and then buy the air ticket.
Kidwai also said that he sent senior diplomat Raghib Qureshi to meet with Saudi immigration authorities at the airport to facilitate the departure of Indians who had completed the process at the deportation center.
‘Get exit stamp before purchasing air ticket’
