Article

2003-12-22 Arabia

Saudi Passports Not a Means of Identification

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Posted by Steve 2003-12-22 3:37:00 PM|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 iqama

Is this the internal furriners passport?

Posted by Shipman 2003-12-22 4:25:03 PM|| 2003-12-22 4:25:03 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 I wonder if people can use any number of passports besides the iqama. Say a Kuwati one.

Posted by Lucky 2003-12-22 7:56:18 PM|| 2003-12-22 7:56:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 I read the headline, went 'eh?' and just shook my head.

Silly me, thinking a passport could be used to identify someone.

Posted by Tony (UK) 2003-12-22 9:28:30 PM|| 2003-12-22 9:28:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Ship - yep. A little brown book that reads backwards, ala Arabeek. When you're in-kingdom (IK) to work on anything other than a biz visa (I think) you surrender your passport to your IK employer / sponsor (who is "responsible" for your behavior IK) and issued an Iqama. You are thus held hostage by your employer while your passport is locked up in his safe.

General info you guys might not already know...

Note that on my first foray to the Magic Kingdom I had to do this. Guys who were fed up (a not too surprisingly significant minority) would "request" a visa to Bahrain (no longer necessary on causeway exits) and the sponsor would get it and swap your passport for your Iqama. Then they would cross over to Bahrain, buy a ticket, and haul ass. I know people who slowly, over several trips over, took their most valued possessions across and left them with friends who lived in Bahrain and crossed over daily to work at Aramco. Once they had moved across what they cared about, they would just fly out and "abandon" their contract.

This makes sense if you have a rotten deal, a lousy "sponsor", or have just become fed up. BUT, you still have to beg your "sponsor" for your passport and have transportation across. Usually not a problem for US/CA/UK/EU types, due to the threat of relations problems with powerful countries, but for the others it can be a major problem because the "sponsor" only has to say NO and you're stopped cold with no hope... and this happens more often that most know. Deals get changed for some because the employer is connected and utterly unscrupulous - and there is no recourse and no escape.

It happens often enough to Pakis, Indis, Flips, etc. to generate serious sympathy from us Westerners who don't face the same probability of being screwed over by the Saudi flesh peddlers. Working for Aramco is one of the few positions that offers them some protection - they can complain there and be heard. Working for anyone else IK probably means you're a no-shit prisoner.

Brings new meaning to "wage slaves", no?

Posted by .com 2003-12-22 10:46:06 PM|| 2003-12-22 10:46:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Sounds like a perfect time to round up everyone in the States under a soddi 'passport' and give them the boot. At least they should be considered 'persons of interest' and kept an eye on.

Of course, State will completely ignore this bombshell, it's not in their interests (as opposed to the security of the U.S.) to make an issue of this.

Posted by 4thInfVet 2003-12-22 11:37:54 PM|| 2003-12-22 11:37:54 PM|| Front Page Top

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