Sailors will no longer be allowed to use their seamen’s passport to enter Saudi territorial waters. They must obtain visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and comply with the Ministry of Labor’s regulations regarding temporary work permits.

Seamen working for Saudi Aramco and its agents have been granted a three-month grace period until next January to stop using their passports.

The committee that was formed to study the status of foreign sailors approved the appeal by Saudi Aramco to temporarily exclude its agents from the decision.

Col. Khalid Al-Arqoubi, security spokesman for the Border Guard Command in the Eastern Province, said that new regulations have been drawn up to streamline the entry and exit of seamen who work in regional waters but do not enter the Kingdom’s mainland.

Al-Arqoubi said the Border Guard is responsible for the security of the regional waters of the Eastern Province and for the implementation of rules pertaining to sailors in regional waters who are in need of visas for their temporary work.

The directives explain that workers who are employed on a temporary basis on ships and do not enter the Kingdom are required to consult with their employer to obtain temporary work permits and visas.

Border guards will report violations to the Passport Department.