RIYADH, 30 July 2003 — The head of the Passports Department in Saudi Arabia, Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Sajeeni, revealed yesterday that Saudi Arabia would take new measures to eliminate the problem of overstayers in the Kingdom.
He said that the new strategies would also put an end to those who enter the country with fake passports or forged papers, Okaz newspaper reported yesterday.
The official said that passports departments all over the Kingdom would start fingerprinting all those who enter Saudi Arabia whether by sea, land or air.
The implementation of the fingerprinting identity method will begin with the passports department’s implementation of new electronic iqamas in three months, Sajeeni added. He said that passport officers in airports, sea ports or at land border posts are being trained by technical programs which coordinate with special institutions to learn how to carry out their duties according to the new regulations.
