ONE of the biggest, most disturbing, complaints of all expatriates here is the requirement of Exit-Reentry visa every time one wants to leave and return to the country. It is bad enough that you are sponsored by a person or entity that controls your whole life.

ER visa requirement restricts our desire to travel and becomes a problem when there is an emergency.

There is no explanation for it except that it is a form of taxation imposed on expatriates and a high income generator.

In neighboring countries, you have multiple exit reentry automatically attached to your 2-3 year residency permit. So you can come and go as many times as you need. What a blissful life!

This system causes a great deal of frustration in people living here. We all know it generates money for KSA, which is fine. We don’t mind paying if service is indeed provided. Otherwise, it looks like a rip off.

No matter from which angle I look at it, to justify it, I cannot find any valid reason for this requirement to exist and for expatriates to go through this, particularly because there is such a large number of people of different nationalities living in the kingdom. The ER visa is simply extra work for Jawazat officials and a headache for sponsors and employees.

If the objective is to control who comes and who goes, then there are better, less complicated ways of doing it. As I have mentioned in a previous article, with fingerprinting and electronic security systems set, there is no need for any extra measures.

And why do I need my sponsor’s permission to travel anyway? If I have a valid Iqama for two years and I am running my business or doing my job properly, I should be able to come and go as many times as I please or can afford. A Pakistani can easily go to Pakistan every weekend and come back. I am sure many can afford it and many will. Especially, when you have to be somewhere on short notice, and waiting is not an option. Let’s say, it is Wednesday and you need to be in Kuwait on Saturday. Let’s say, it is a matter of life and death. Do you then have to wait till Saturday to send the company’s Mandoob to the Jawazat, with stamped and attested forms (which must be done earlier), to obtain the ER visa? What if he cannot make it on Saturday? Such things have happened multitude number of times to an uncountable number of people.

It has also happened that people got an ER visa for 3 months and because of some mishap, they could not arrive on time. They lost the visa. It had to be re-issued. What a pain!

When I was studying in Cyprus, I was late in coming for the visa renewal by one day. My ER visa had expired one day before my arrival. And it was due to seats not being available on flights. The officials stopped me at the immigration. Just for ONE SINGLE DAY! But because I could speak Arabic and argue, I was able to get all the officers on my side. But their superior did not agree. They were willing to let me in if he agreed.

We finally had to call the signing authority of a prince to come personally at 12 midnight. He made a call and had the Chief of Jawazat shout at the officer in-charge to stamp the visa and not make this an issue. What a waste of time and energy for everyone! Had I not known the people I knew, I would have gone back (I would have gladly at that time). And this would have hurt my parents a lot. This was just a few days before Eid.

I have this one suggestion:

Increase the Iqama charges if you want. Make it SR3,000 for two years, but PLEASE stop this exit re-entry thing! I would like to go to Oman, Bahrain, Karachi, Dubai or Qatar as and when I please. I do not want my expeditor to run around getting ER visas for me and my family. He has so much more to do!