Much has been written about the long lists of banned items the Customs Department insists on enforcing on travelers arriving at any of the Kingdom’s entry points. The world is fast changing around us and we insist on keeping outdated lists that no one seems to understand the logic behind them.
Has the Customs Department ever asked itself if the ban has indeed achieved its objective? For me the answer is that the ban has not achieved its desired goal. On the contrary, it only resulted in hiking the prices of some items that should have never been put on the lists in the first place. Had these goods been allowed and the proper customs duties charged, the state coffer would have benefited and the misuse and exploitation by some would have ended. But instead a lucrative business has developed by people eager to trade in everything banned.
One of the most bizarre cases here is the ban on imported vehicles that suffer some degree of damage. Customs regulations ban the entry of any vehicle with damage to its body, regardless of the size and nature of the damage. The ban covers all models of cars, brand new or second hand and whether intended for commercial or private use.
Even more bizarre than the decision itself is how it is being applied. Many would raise their eyebrows in disbelief to know that the persons charged with enforcing the decision are not Saudi customs officials but foreign workers, mostly from the sub-continent. These are employees of maritime companies unloading the vehicles when these arrive at an entry point. It is up to the foreign worker unloading a vehicle to determine whether it has suffered enough damage to be labeled as unfit to enter the Kingdom. It doesn’t matter if the damage is a small scratch on the body or something else. What the worker decides goes, and the decision is final.
The result of such a policy is that importers of vehicles wasted no time in arguing or appealing for a change of policy but immediately directed their “damaged” cars to neighboring countries, especially the United Arab Emirates. Once arriving there the cars are repaired and then shipped back to Saudi Arabia where this time they would be allowed to enter. At present cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai have been turned into major centers for repairing and overhauling Saudi cars and sending them back to us. A thriving business is now in full swing there, thanks to the policies of our Customs Department and its long lists of banned items.
