Al-Watan newspaper reported that some customers come as early as 4 a.m. to ensure they are served.
Some customers say they have had to wait for seven hours before they even have a chance to be served. Saudia officials cited staff shortage and holiday rush as reasons behind it.
There was a long queue at the Saudia main office in the Al-Mirouj district in Riyadh that had been building up since the early hours of the morning.
People take numbered tickets and then wait for their turns until a member of staff calls them.
Some of them had reportedly come as early as midnight and found people already in queue. Customers have to remain outside until the doors open at 8 a.m.
A customer told Al-Watan that he came exactly at four in the morning and waited until the doors opened.
“I was surprised to see the hall full to the brim with customers. After receiving the first paper containing the names of the clients who had come first, the staff member gave them numbers and provided a second paper for the other customers to register,” he said.
The newspaper reported the second hall for ticket sales was crowded with customers carrying numbered tickets.
There were a number of desks with computers on them, but no staff manning the terminals.
It took about half an hour to serve a single customer. Meanwhile people were continuing to arrive and crowding the hall.
It also noted the presence of a large number of supervisors but very few staff actually serving.
Abdul Rahman Al-Sakran, supervisor of the main office, said the crowds were due to the school summer vacation and the shortage of staff.
“We have other offices in many areas in Riyadh but people prefer to come here,” he said.
Al-Sakran said though bookings can be done online, customers insist on coming personally. He said working hours had been extended from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“We have also made Thursday a working day in order to serve our customers,” he said.
According to Al-Sakran, the office serves an average of 400 people every day.
