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baa_baa

Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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so I get up and decide to clean hoping and thinking that tomorrow will be OK and that I will GO. After I start vacuuming for 5 min. IT JUST stops.. this is a bad omen right????? im not going tomorrow anywhere am I?
Last time I actually had a flight to dubai. The wonderful lovling HR took my iqama. I went to the airport after checking in, one of the men who work there tells me that I cant board the plane because I dont have the iqama with me. It is a law, though I actually had the passport and a stamped copy of the iqama. I actually couldnt fly...
skype doesnt work either. im usually chit chating with my family. another bad omen. whats wrong with today..
tomorrow will be another day that Ill never forget.... all pray.
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nomad soul

Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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Do you still keep a stash of small paper bags to breathe into, Baa baa?  |
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baa_baa

Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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I was looking for it today
hey, if I DO get out..take good care of yourself..your precious. sweet dreams  |
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nomad soul

Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:37 am Post subject: |
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At least you'll get to enjoy this new feature of the airport:
Immigration counters exclusively for women open at Jeddah airport
By Ibrahim Alawi, Okaz/Saudi Gazette | 3 June 2014
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140603207262
JEDDAH – Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed opened on Monday the special counters for women’s immigration at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah. As many as 74 Saudi women have been appointed to work at the special counters at KAIA. Women passengers can now process their passports through the service called ‘Hayyaki” (Welcoming you).
Prince Mishal urged all officials and employees at the airport to extend the best services to all those who use the airport, including pilgrims, citizens and visitors. He called for guaranteeing comfort to passengers through smooth functioning of the immigration and other facilities of the Passport Directorate (Jawazat), the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Briefing Prince Mishal on the functioning of the counter, Brig. Gen. Khalaf Al-Tuwairgi, director of Passport Department in Makkah region, said that the new service has been introduced to ensure the privacy of women in line with the teachings of the Islamic Shariah. “This initiative is also in conformity with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to strengthen the role of women in serving the nation,” he said, adding that the female passport officers have been trained in immigration procedures. Special counters for women have already been introduced at Riyadh’s King Khaled International Airport.
Last month, a new dress code was implemented for passports officers at immigration counters at the airports. They now wear the traditional thobe instead of military uniform. The national dress consists of the traditional thobe, ghutra (headscarf) and iqal (black head ribbon). The staff also have to wear black shoes and black socks and put on their badges. The decision has been implemented at first at the international airports of Riyadh, Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam before it is gradually introduced in all the Kingdom’s air, sea and land entry points.
Brig. Gen. Khalaf Al-Tuwairgi, director of Passport Department in Makkah region, Brig. Gen. Fahm Al-Bagami, director of the department for entry points at the Passports Directorate, and Col. Suleiman Al-Yousef, director of Passports at KAIA, Rafat Falamban, supervisor for women’s counters, and other officials were present at the opening ceremony.
Later, Prince Mishal toured the lounges of the airport. He was accompanied by Abdul Hameed Abal Ari, director general of KAIA, Muhammad Al-Ghamdi, director general of customs at the airport, and other officials.
(End of article) |
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Rostom

Joined: 16 Apr 2014 Posts: 102 Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:02 am Post subject: |
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| Women passengers can now process their passports through the service called ‘Hayyaki” (Welcoming you). |
Well, this is may be true for expat women, but for Saudi women, they cannot travel by themselves without a Mahram (male escort - husband, father or son), or at least they need the permission to travel!
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| Last month, a new dress code was implemented for passports officers at immigration counters at the airports. |
I wonder if changing dress code will change their behaviour and attitude?
Wait and observe while you are in the airport!
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| They now wear the traditional thobe instead of military uniform. The national dress consists of the traditional thobe, ghutra (headscarf) and iqal (black head ribbon). The staff also have to wear black shoes and black socks and put on their badges. |
This dress code for male officers, what about women officers?
Will it be the same as the one seen in the street?
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| he staff also have to wear black shoes and black socks ... |
Must be something special with the black colour?
Already we have plenty of black colour in the street, they need to chose another colour, may be white or pink, to attract the travellers and make their journey more pleasant!  |
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CANDLES

Joined: 01 Nov 2011 Posts: 605 Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Officials at the airport are awful and I am not generalising.
One official asked me when I was returning from somewhere (in broken English) - Where are you go to? , where are you now?
After replying to his questions I asked if I could have my passport back and was told that I had to say 'PLEASE" , or stay at the airport.
After a lot of ruckus, finally managed to get the passport back. Apparently I had upset him- not sure how!
I'm sure his extended family got him the job to get rid of him from under their feet.  |
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baa_baa

Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Hey Nomad Soul, Rostom, and all!
Guess where I am???
At the airport. A miracle!!!
I couldn't sleep last night so I went the Hr at 7.
Anyways when they arrived they had told me everything is ready! How cool is that???? A miracle!!!!
I want to wish you all a very happy summer. Take care!!!
I'll peobably resume in sept. 😁😁😁. Byeeeeee |
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baa_baa

Joined: 04 Dec 2011 Posts: 265
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:08 am Post subject: |
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Oh and thanks for sharing the article!!!  |
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Pikgitina
Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 420 Location: KSA
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:37 am Post subject: |
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| CANDLES wrote: |
| Apparently I had upset him- not sure how! |
Perhaps you spoke in bold?  |
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CANDLES

Joined: 01 Nov 2011 Posts: 605 Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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YEP! Should have cowered in humility! |
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Pikgitina
Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 420 Location: KSA
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| CANDLES wrote: |
YEP! Should have cowered in humility! |
I'm surprised he didn't blow out your candles.  |
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rollingk
Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 212
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm sure his extended family got him the job to get rid of him from under their feet. |
Maybe. Opposites attract, and he'd be just another genetic copy after all. |
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CANDLES

Joined: 01 Nov 2011 Posts: 605 Location: Wandering aimlessly.....
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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I really should have given him my driver's number to teach him some basic (any) English. Silly idiot
I was livid!  |
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MixtecaMike

Joined: 19 Nov 2003 Posts: 643 Location: Guatebad
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Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:00 am Post subject: |
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In all fairness, the last two or three times I came in through Dammam airport the queues moved fairly rapidly, and the officials often made an attempt to be friendly, which given the time of evening and the rudeness or confusion of many of the new arrivees, would not be an easy task. At Dammam airport, things seem to go fine when they have officials sorting the first arrivals from the returnees.
Worth noting that a lot of the hold-ups seem to be when a new arrival refuses to go to the correct line because he has already invested time waiting in the wrong queue.
Leaving via Dammam can be a bit of challenge, especially for the round midnight flight to Amsterdam. It seems like half the (we) foreign devils in the Eastern province want to leave at this ungodly hour. |
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scot47

Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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"It seems like half the foreign devils in the Eastern Province want to leave at this ungodly hour."
.............and then get liquored up on the flight. At least Saudi Arabian is dry ! |
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