Blog: Trucks stranded at UAE-Saudi border

Thousands of truck drivers are stranded at the UAE-Saudi border as new Saudi border checks involving a fingerprinting exercise is causing major delays. Gulf News Deputy Managing Editor, Mick O'Reilly is at the border and he blogs about the escalating chaos.

19:00 pm: At 7pm, the truck queue here at the UAE-Saudi border is 37 km long.

18:08 pm: I have stayed in the line since 2.30pm. Over that time I moved all of 65 metres. During this time I have been treated with nothing but humanity and graciousness by the truck drivers parked here. I enjoyed 'chai' (tea), friendly conversation and good humour along with offers of cold water from warm-hearted people. My journey ends here but it it is 65metres that will remain with me for the rest of my life.

17:32pm: Navin Chander (meaning New Moon), an Indian driver two lorries ahead of me, is taking a load of washing machines and fridges to Bahrain. We are tempted to open the back of the lorry, plug in the fridge and sit inside one of them. Sadly, the temptation passses...

17:02pm: The afternoon sun is beginning to retreat...but my car is stiflingly warm. I find myself drifting off to sleep in bouts of utter boredom. Historically, camel caravans were used to move cargo. I think in this instance, camels would have been a better option.

16:36pm: I feel movement coming on. The trucks ahead start to move. I gain 20 metres. I can see a truck somewhere up pull out. Total distance gained in 2hrs 05 min is 65 metres.At this rate, I'll be in Saudi Arabia by eternity!

16:02 An Abu Dhabi municipality truck drives along the soft shoulder and stops, the driver asks me if I have a problem, ''no problem'' I say, ''just waiting to cross border like everyone else.'' ''You small car you go ahead'', I say ''no thanks'' and continue to wait. It is 44 degrees celsius and I'm starting to smell. I wish I could spare some water and get a bar of imperial leather soap fromt the truck behind me. No such luck. Total distance travelled in 1h32 min is 45 meters.

15:46pm: A flurry of excitement and activity, engines spring to life, a truck up ahead has packed it in and left the line up, we all move up 15 metres. Total distance travelled since 14:30pm is 45metres.

15:31pm: My car lodged in between the line of trucks has become something of a novelty with drivers coming by to check me out. My Punjabi friend has just given me an apple. I'm about to go another 15 metres...

14:42pm: The temperature is 44 degrees, the Touregs immediately in front of me have to pull out and leave. Ashoka has had enough waiting and left. Total distance travelled in 22 minutes is 30 metres! I have to turn off my airconditioning as I want to conserve petrol. There are trucks stretched out in both directions as far as I can see.

14:30pm: I pull up behind a blue trailer hauled by Ashoka, a young Syrian driver behind the wheel of a battered Scania tractor hauling air conditioning units to Qatar.

Temperature outside reads 40 degrees but it feels a lot warmer. Stretched out for kilometres in front of me are thousands of trucks. I am the last person in line. Within a minute a Volvo rig pulls up behind me driven by an elderly Punjabi carrying Imperial Leather soap to Saudi Arabia. Four more trucks have joined the line up.

Your comments

Before implementing any laws the authorities should think twice about the negative impacts of the law and then only apply the law.This is really awful for the poor truck drivers to stuck in the middle of the desert without their fault.
Fahad J. Khan
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: June 13, 2009, 17:50

Good Morning all. 1. The queue in my opinion will get longer and loner: Security to Saudi Arabia is a RED LINE. 2. We need to sit down and talk: UAE and KSA are brothers. q.: Is it a reminder of the importance of your adjacent brothers?
Ali Abdullah
Riyadh,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Posted: June 13, 2009, 11:44