Saudi citizens who get robbed while on vacation abroad can obtain a loan from the country’s embassies and consulates provided they give an undertaking to repay the amount upon their return to the Kingdom.
Revealing this, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs, Ambassador Osama bin Ahmad Al-Sanusi outlined some of the other problems faced by Saudis during their vacations aboard. “Some citizens do not comply with conditions of certain types of visas, like the Schengen visa of the European Union,” he said, adding that some citizens also carry with them foodstuff or overstay the specified visa period.
“Saudi citizens can acquire a tourist visa to Indonesia without having to visit the embassy in Riyadh or the consulate in Jeddah,” he was quoted as saying to a local newspaper, explaining that the Indonesian government recently announced that visas can also be acquired on arrival at Jakarta airport.
He also called on citizens traveling aboard to take into consideration the fact that house-helps accompanying them need to have separate visas in some countries. Other requirements by some countries, he pointed out, include disclosure of the amount of money a person has on him, jewelry and other precious belongings.
“Saudi citizens should contact the embassy of his country aboard to register his passport, his residency place and his contact numbers when necessary,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched an electronic application, which can be uploaded on smart phones to ease the process of registering all the necessary data online.
Explaining that taking house-help with family raises issues, he said, “The problem is that there are different labor laws and regulations in various countries.” One should take into account that visa requirements for Saudis might be different from that of other nationalities, he said, adding: “This can be avoided by ensuring that all documents of house-helps are valid and in their possession before traveling.”
Missions to provide loans to Saudi victims of robbery
