MAKKAH, 21 July 2005 — An 81-year-old Saudi man was shocked when he found out from a civil department employee that he died seven years ago. According to Al-Madinah newspaper, the man went to the civil department office to renew his ID card when the employee told him that he was sorry he could not help him because he was dead. The old man tried to tell the employee that there was a mistake and he needed his card because he was getting ready to travel abroad for treatment. The employee insisted that he was dead and he could not help dead people. The man went to the police department to complain. There he found out the mistake was made when his daughter died seven years ago in an accident; authorities put his name instead of hers. The mistake is currently being corrected.
