New visa rules raise doubts

Residents of Saudi Arabia going abroad will no longer need to carry Passport Department papers with exit/re-entry visas effective next month. The traveler's visa status and its validity will be available on the department's website www.passportevisa.com.
Lt. Col. Ahmad Al-Luhaidan, spokesman for the Passport Department, said: “The electronic website has all the options that a traveler needs available in Arabic and English. Through this step, traveling expatriates will no longer need to carry a paper visa.”
Some countries demand that travelers prove they have a valid exit and re-entry visa when they travel to the Kingdom.
Al-Luhaidan said: “Authorities in any country can log onto the website, which is accessible to both themselves and travel companies. Airlines can also put the visa status on the air ticket.”
Many expatriates welcomed the move, although some felt a little concerned. Mona Rashi, who works in tourism, said this move would save travelers a lot of hassle. They no longer would have to worry about losing the visa document and their travel procedures could be completed quickly with no middlemen.
Bashir Ahmadain, a Sudanese who works in marketing for a private company, thinks otherwise. “I am afraid that this move will cause trouble. Many third-world airports lack Internet connection or they lack broadband Internet. If this happens, we might miss our flight. The move itself is very useful and helpful, but not for every country in the world,” he said.
Al-Luhaidan said that the move is another step toward electronic governance in Saudi Arabia.
In a press statement, the department said that this move would facilitate the issuance of visas through the electronic passport system, “Abshir,” with the aim of eradicating paperwork.