Saudi Arabia: Expats warned against ID non-renewal
Penalties range from fine to deportation
Cairo: Saudi authorities have urged expatriates to ensure validity of their identity cards, warning of penalties for violators.
The Directorate General of Passports said that non-renewal of the expatriates' residency permits, officially called the "Muqeem ID", is punishable by a fine of SR500 for the first time, with the fine doubling to reach SR 1,000 in the second violation, Saudi online newspaper Ajel has reported.
The ID holder faces deportation in the third time of violation, it added.
Expatriates can verify the validity of their Muqeem IDs by logging into the online platform Absher and Muqeem set up by the Interior Ministry to facilitate electronic dealings, according to the Directorate General of Passports.
In April, the directorate announced extending IDs of the expatriates, who were inside or outside the kingdom, for three months for free amid the kingdom's efforts to contain an outbreak of the new coronavirus.
Foreigners make up 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia's 34.8 million population.
