The Passport Department remains committed to easing congestion at all border crossings, the chief of the body said recently.

Maj. Gen. Suleiman Al-Yahya, director general of the department, was speaking following a field tour at the Al-Raqa’i border crossing with Kuwait recently. He said several steps would be taken to improve services for commuters.

The passport department recently came under fire from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha) for causing delays on the King Fahd Causeway leading to and from Bahrain.

Al-Yahya said the department would look into the situation at the Al-Raqa’i border crossing where officials barred Bedouns (Arabic for stateless persons) from entering the Kingdom for Umrah in their own cars.

“I do not have all the facts concerning this issue, it must be based on a regulation.”

The ban saw Bedouns demonstrate in protest outside the Saudi Embassy in Kuwait.

Al-Yahya also promised to reconsider the two-week visa given to domestic maids recruited by Saudi families from offices in Kuwait. The validity of the visa was reduced from three months to two weeks recently.