Mahmoud Ahmad

For months, since the start of the amnesty given to expatriates to rectify their status, I have been hearing about the overcrowding of people around consulates and embassies and around some government department, in particular the passport department.



My knowledge was limited to what I have been hearing and reading in papers. Many of my expat friends have been complaining about the lack of organization, especially at the passport department and the difficulty of obtaining information. I was finally given the opportunity to experience it myself.



I was forced to visit the passport department, a place I have been avoiding to visit in the recent months, to register my maid’s new passport in the system. A friend of mine advised me to go to the passport department as early as 5:00 a.m. to get a number to stand in line. I thought he was joking but when nearly all I asked had the same suggestion, then I knew to better heed their advice.



I prayed Fajr near the passport department mosque in Al-Kandra district south of Jeddah. I had to say that the place was teeming with people when it was still dark. I was shocked, but realized everyone was trying to take advantage of the remaining time to complete their procedures before Haj vacation.



I asked a police officer at the northern entrance of the building where I could get the proper application form. He asked me to go away because apparently I woke him up since he was resting before a long day. I somehow joined the rush and found an application form and photocopied the needed documents and stood in line, or what seemed to be a line.



The line had a mix of nationalities, and in the line were many who were visiting the passport department almost everyday to get their papers fixed, only to be told that they lack all papers and come back tomorrow with something new or something near impossible. But nothing gets fixed. It was sad to see them go through this suffering. I met an Indian who was working in Bahrain and he talked about how smooth the procedures were in Bahrain. Everyone was listening to him, hypnotized by the word “smooth procedures.”



Here the story is different. I asked six passport officials one question: where do I go to register new passports? I received four different answers. One told me to go to a big hall on the ground floor to the right. Another officer told me to go and do it online. The third officer told me to go to the other branch and one told me to go to the second floor. They only succeeded in bemusing me, leaving me with no clearer idea than before. In fact I, in the end, received the correct information from the people outside who had become experienced about everything because of the number of times they had to visit the place.



One thing that the place lacks is an official to provide people with good and clear information. And he needs to be bilingual and able to direct all to the correct counter for their respective work. We were all left to discover everything outside on our own either from past masters or by following people blindly who had managed to get the correct information.



I again asked an officer before the door opened which department I needed to go to register a new passport? This to reconfirm my information. He was courteous enough to tell me to go to the second floor. But he also gave me a cute advice. He told me to run like Carl Lewis and to push my way through like a rugby player and, if I have to, turn into Mike Tyson to punch those who stand in my way.



It was then I knew it was going to be a long day. When the door opened I rushed to the second floor and it took a lot of pushing and jostling to reach the said counter. It reminded me of a scene from the movie '28 Weeks Later' where people pushed and shoved to escape the infected zombies. When I reached the right section they told me to go to the branch in Al-Rehab district. All the waiting was for nothing.



I went to Al-Rehab branch and there too was a crowd, but lesser than Al-Kandra. A man was handing out numbers to the people and I sat down waiting. The distribution of number at the gate serves to register the person’s claim in the line before a particular counter. There were only two officials serving us. They were interrupted every two to three minutes to answer some inquiry and sometimes answering the same question over and over again and it reached a level that they lost their cool.



If the passport department appointed someone in the front desk to answer all question and to hand over numbers and applications and to prevent people from cutting the line then things would have been smoother. After the morning rush, I failed to see the lines being dealt with the same urgency. I counted the hours literally, and it took them three hours to serve 33 people and there were over 200 applicants waiting.



I also saw people, who waited for hours for their turn, and when it came only to be asked to go to Al-Kandra main branch. This is a total waste of time going all round and could be avoided if the information desk is manned and issues correct information, saving time and energy. I also apprehend the fact that the waste of time would also affect productivity because they are employees who had to leave their work to finish paperwork. I saw not only the frustration in their eyes but also the despair; as they could do nothing even argue their point.



An Egyptian man was sent back and forth from Al-Kandra to Al-Rehab for three days, each branch telling him to go to the other branch for the particular service. Where is the issue here? It is definitely not the man's problem but the passport department’s for not being clear which branch could assist him.



Amid all this is the usual scene that I’ve seen and hope would never happen, but sadly it does every time, is to see an official from the passport department using his connection to help someone who is breaking all norms by taking advantage of his connection. All that the passport official does is smile at the official behind the desk, wink and the man is served immediately in minutes when all are waiting for hours. Many don’t complain, and those who are vocal only get marked and nothing is done. Meanwhile the official and his connection have been served and within minutes are gone.



I also noticed that there were people who force their way into the line by taking advantage of the fact that they were Saudis. But here the officials did not buy it and asked them to get a number and wait like others. Even shouting and creating a scene did not work with the officials. Some women also tried to force their way to get served in the men’s section although there is a women’s section. They felt there’s an advantage in being the lone woman in the men’s section. Officers, on more than one occasion, had to send them back, but they dealt with compassion some cases of elderly women.



People would do anything to get their work done. Some resorted to the trick of bringing their elderly fathers while they wait outside. When an official sees an old man with a stick he immediately serves him. I saw a fit, strong man who sent his grandfather to do his work. The officer immediately accepted the application given by the grandfather, who did not have a number, so he would not have to wait.



When I asked the fit man why he did not go instead of his grandfather, he told me this is the only way to get served faster.



It is clear that the blame for the unruly crowds falls on both. The passport officials found themselves in this situation and they did not plan for it. All of a sudden they have to serve all these people in a short period of time with limited capabilities. They are doing their best, but the best seems to be not enough.



They need to fix minor problems that cause major headaches for people, which is appointing someone with clear direction and information so people will pay only one visit and finish their paperwork instead of going around in circles. If need be they can also work around the clock in shifts because there is little time left.



People on the other hand need to cooperate and follow instructions. People who use tricks to get served create most of the problems. They should know that any delay is going to delay the rest of the people.



– Mahmoud Ahmad can be reached at mahmad@saudigazette.com.sa