UAE to Saudis: Let's end border chaos first

Abu Dhabi: The UAE delegation going to Riyadh on Monday to find a solution to the problem of the truck backlog at the UAE-Saudi border will not address any other matter during the meeting, a top official said.

Truck drivers have been waiting for days at Al Ghuwaifat to enter Saudi Arabia. Drivers said a new fingerprinting exercise by the Saudi authorities has been causing the delays. At one point, the queue stretched 37km.

Mohammad Khalifa Bin Fahd Al Muhairi, Director General of the Federal Customs Authority, said the delegation will only discuss the entry point problem and not any other differences related to customs systems or any disagreement on the customs tariff.

In a statement to Gulf News, Al Muhairi said the UAE wants to reach a fast and effective solution to the current crisis.

"The UAE refuses to discuss any other disagreement points because priority must be given to solving the current crisis and reaching a solution that leads to opening the border point and allowing trucks to pass into Saudi Arabia," he said.

The UAE delegation includes representatives from the ministries of Economy, Interior and Finance, the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology and the Federal Customs Authority, Al Muhairi said.