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Truck queues at Saudi border are not expected to end soon

The long queues of trucks loaded with exports and re-exports to Saudi Arabia at the Ghowayfat-Batehaa check-point will not ease soon, according to a senior UAE official seeking a solution at the GCC general secretariat level.

  • By Ahmed A. Elewa, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:01 September 15, 2008
  • Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: The long queues of trucks loaded with exports and re-exports to Saudi Arabia at the Ghowayfat-Batehaa check-point will not ease soon, according to a senior UAE official seeking a solution at the GCC general secretariat level.

Last month, the Federal Customs Authority (FCA) announced that most of the problems were sorted out with the Saudis, and that the average waiting time will be reduced to 24 hours rather than three days. Presently, some truckers must wait for up to five or six days at the land border, awaiting clearance from the Saudi authorities for their cargo.

"There are many problems related to specifications, documentation, conditions of freight, packaging, and inspection procedures," Mohammad Khalifa Al Moheiri, FCA's director general said.

The complications on the Saudi side of the border is unmatched, as the trucks loaded with exports to the UAE suffer the least delay and cross the border within few hours.

In reaction, a delegation from the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) and the Department of Planning and Economy (DPE) requested the support of FCA which promised to intervene at the GCC level.

The worst hit are food-stuff exports as the extended waiting time combined with the summer heat can result in good getting spoilt.

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