JEDDAH: In its attempt to speed up the third phase of the fingerprinting project for expatriates, the Passport Directorate is studying the viability of sending more mobile units to locations where large numbers of expatriates work.
“Fingerprinting in the present phase is compulsory only for expatriates wanting exit/re-entry or exit visas. All other expatriates have plenty of time to register their biometric details; they can wait until the present rush is over,” acting Director of Information Technology at the General Directorate of Passports Lt. Col. Khaled Al-Saikhan told Arab News yesterday.
There is no requirement for children without separate iqamas. An expatriate will not have to register his or her fingerprints several times as the first recording at any entry point or offices of the Passport Directorate is enough, Al-Saikhan added.
“The directorate also plans to appoint women workers to fingerprint expatriate women in its offices in Jeddah,” he said.
“The fingerprint project is part of the implementation of the e-government system for expatriates in the Kingdom,” the official said, adding that the e-government system will be implemented in the Civil Status Department to serve the citizens.
In the first stage of the project, fingerprints of those arriving on new visas were registered while in the second stage some of the expatriate services such as issuing of iqama, change of profession, renewal of iqama and issuing duplicate iqamas were linked to fingerprinting in a gradual manner,” he said.
There are morning and evening shifts for men at the four centers working in Jeddah. Women will be served only in the morning hours. The centers are located near Saudi Oger headquarters on King’s Road, behind the Dallah Tower on Palestine Road, Abrug Al-Raghama on the Ring Road and the Industrial City.
The Passport Department in Jeddah has only one mobile fingerprinting unit, which has six machines.
The five fingerprinting centers in Riyadh are at the southern and northern lounges of the Passport Department, near the Saudi Oger headquarters on the Al-Diriya Road in north Riyadh, the Southern Ring Road and on Al-Kharj Road in south Riyadh. There are two mobile units in Riyadh.
In Dammam there are two new branches, one of them close to the Al-Majdouei Establishment and the other near Giant Stores on the Express Road. There is also one mobile unit in the province.
