Saudi Arabia: Expats warned about expired IDs

Cairo: Foreign residents in Saudi Arabia have been warned against failing to renew their residency permits in due time.

The Saudi Directorate General of Passports has urged expatriates to renew their identification cars at least three days before their expiry dates to avoid penalties.

Holders can verify validity of their cards and apply for renewal by logging into the Interior Ministry’s service platform “Abshar” or the electronic portal “Moqeem”.

Failure to have a valid residency permit in Saudi Arabia is punishable by a fine of SR500 for the first time, SR1,000 for the second and deportation for the third.

Foreigners make up around 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s total population of 34.8 million people.