People here are complaining about lengthy delays for services at the Al-Kandarah passport office in Jeddah.

Expats claim that passport officials arrive late for work, only start processing documents from noon, and that there is a severe shortage of staff.

Hassan Al-Sharif said that when he arrived to get an emergency visa for an employee “there was no one to help.” His employee needed to be at the airport at 3 p.m.

A Sudanese man said he waited in vain from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. but there was also no one there to help him.

Salah Bakri, an Egyptian, said he wanted to extend his mother’s visa but was kept waiting from 7:30 a.m.

Mustafa, a worker, said officials are supposed to process emergency documents 24 hours a day.

“But when one official came through the door, he said I’d have to wait for the officer in charge. I waited from 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. to get an exit visa, which was very hard on me and my elderly sponsor who was waiting in the car.”

Ahmad Al-Shahri, a business owner, said he signed up for the Abshir Service (e-service of the Passport Department), but was unable to get an exit and reentry visa for his worker. This forced him to travel to the office.

“We’ve been standing and waiting for hours now. I wish it was easier to access Abshir,” said Al-Shahri.

Colonel Mohammad Al-Hussein, spokesman for the Al-Kandarah passport office, said Makkah’s passport office handles emergency cases during the holidays and the Abshir facility allows for the processing of exit and reentry visas and other services.