Nazaha, or the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAC) called for speeding up renovations of facilities at the exit-entry points along the Saudi borders to ensure optimum services to commuters as directed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

In a statement released here recently, NAC expressed concerns over difficulties being faced by transporters and individuals at the exit-entry points.

It said commuters have expressed dissatisfaction at the long drawn out delays at these check posts.

They also voiced their concern about the condition of the ports.

The body submitted its observations to the authorities demanding an investigation into the pathetic situation of the ports.

It attributed the problems to certain shortcomings including mismanagement of the various land border exit and entry ports linking the Kingdom with neighboring countries.

Nazaha inspection teams had located poor infrastructure facilities at the border points of Al-Khafji, Raqa’i, Salwa, Batha, Al-Hadeetha, Halat Ammar and Al-Wadeeah.

The teams also found the facilities lacking in operation and maintenance and they stressed the need to have the buildings and facilities repaired. This is besides poor management of immigration, customs and traffic control at the ports, the teams spotted.

“There is a shortage of personnel manning these ports while the heavy traffic at the check points causes long queues during peak hours owing to the slow response of the systems and devices which are overloaded,” the commission said.

The statement added that the poor condition of the facilities give a negative impression of the country’s image citing as evidence the ports, structures and premises which are in sore need of maintenance.

It said that with the exception of Batha, the overall conditions of the infrastructure at some of the ports reflected a lack of commitment by some workers in the management of immigration and customs and shortage of personnel operating the port, including Batha.