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Imdramayu
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 394
Location: South Korea
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 Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject: Meeting -- getting straight to the point |
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| I do need to meet my friend before entering the airport's immigration/customs queue to exchange info. Our flights are sheduled to arrive at the same time so I hope we do meet. If there are two immigration/customs halls, which arrival gates go which halls? Are there more than one terminal buildings? |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject: Re: Meeting -- getting straight to the point |
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| baedaebok wrote: |
| I do need to meet my friend before entering the airport's immigration/customs queue to exchange info. Our flights are sheduled to arrive at the same time so I hope we do meet. If there are two immigration/customs halls, which arrival gates go which halls? Are there more than one terminal buildings? |
Well, baedaebok, it seems your request is difficult to achieve and you are making things more complicated for you and your friend!
I wonder why you want to exchange info with your friend before the immigration point and not after!?
One solution for your request, is to ask the pilot of your flight to contact the authorities in the airport to announce your arrival and that you want to meet your friend at the office of Colonel Bandar, the director of airport immigration which is located before the immigration point. I think this is the only option for you to use.
Good luck. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| 007, why assume that baedaebok has some shady reason for wanting to meet up with his/her friend in advance of entering? |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
| 007, why assume that baedaebok has some shady reason for wanting to meet up with his/her friend in advance of entering? |
baedaebok is 'he' not 'she'.
Well, I Guess the reasons for wanting to meet his friend is to collect an 'important & confidential' documents which are related to one of them and should be shown to the immigration office in case are required!
The second option is that his 'friend' is in fact his wife which should be with him before meeting the immigration office.  |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:48 am Post subject: assumption |
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| In the Middle East everyone would assunme that this "meeting" is for some nefarious purpose. |
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Imdramayu
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 394
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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007, you guessed it. I will be meeting my wife at Dammam International Airport. But we will be arriving on separate flights (that are scheduled to arrive at the same time at the airport). I hope there will be no problem in meeting her somewhere in the airport before encountering Immigration or other Saudi officials. I asked my sponsors and they said there should be no problem in meeting. We want to go through Immigration, etc. as a family. Are both men and women directed to the same Immigration area?
On another website board, someone mentioned about chairs lining the back of the Immigration waiting area. But the area is usually completely full of labourers from the sub-continent. My wife will be quite nervous waiting by herself in an area with many labourers hanging around. I wonder if there is somewhere she could wait (or walk slowly through). I asked my sponsors and they said there should be no problem in meeting. |
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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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Well, baedaebok, if you are the sponsor of your wife (her visa should shows this), and it is her first entry to the kingdom, then she will not be able to go through immigration until you meet her and show them your visa and that she is your wife. So, in any case your meeting point will be at one of immigration officer, or ask her to wait in the waiting room (before immigration pioint) and go search for her!
Good luck.
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| My wife will be quite nervous waiting by herself in an area with many labourers hanging around. |
Do not worry, baedaebok, nobody will touch or harm your wife, the rules of conduct in the magic kingdom are very strict, and the immigration police of Uncle Bandar in the airport are watching, and the labourers will be shivering on their seats waiting their turn!
BTW, baedaebok, I hope that your wife will be wearing the black abaya when she will be waiting for you in the airport! |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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| I hope you can prove to the authorities that she is your lawful wife ! |
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Mia Xanthi
Joined: 13 Mar 2008
Posts: 955
Location: why is my heart still in the Middle East while the rest of me isn't?
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Do not worry, baedaebok, nobody will touch or harm your wife, the rules of conduct in the magic kingdom are very strict, and the immigration police of Uncle Bandar in the airport are watching, and the labourers will be shivering on their seats waiting their turn! |
Chances are, as 007 claims, that no one would dare hurt her. However, they will stare in an unpleasant manner and she is likely to feel frightened. Also, if your wife is Korean (just my assumption... previous posts? your name?) she may be treated like a newly arrived housemaid, which could be quite unpleasant for her.
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| BTW, baedaebok, I hope that your wife will be wearing the black abaya when she will be waiting for you in the airport! |
Do make sure that your wife is completely covered when she arrives. If she does not have an abaya, then I suggest a black trenchcoat of some kind. If she can't get something black, then tell her that she must cover everything but her hands, feet, and face. Loose clothing is best so that no one can see her shape. Even though she is not required to cover her hair in Dammam, she will feel more comfortable when she arrives if she has a scarf or some other way to cover her hair.
And tell her OVER AND OVER AGAIN that it will get much better after the airport!!!  |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:38 am Post subject: |
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I question the wisdom of coming to KSA this way. At the best you and your wife are in for an unpleasant time, until you clear immigration. First impressions count and I wonder how your wife will react to this.
It is ALWAYS advisable to accompany your wife when coming to KSA. Most of the people I know here do this on every trip - not just on the initial visit. |
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Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:04 am Post subject: |
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| The problem is that there are two immigration and customs areas at Dammam airport. One appears to be used mainly for Gulf flights and another, larger one for flights from most other destinations. |
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Imdramayu
Joined: 09 Feb 2007
Posts: 394
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:46 am Post subject: |
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It's great to see such support and concern from the fellow thread-writers.
Since we're both arriving from different non-Gulf countries that are faraway, I hope we both meet in the same Immigration area. From Stephen's comments, it looks hopeful. Is there anyway to see a blueprint of the insides of the airport? On their website, there's only a picture of the exterior.
Unfortunately, dw (darling wife) doesn't have her abaya -- I have it. I didn't think (when we were packing) that she should have packed it. I was meaning to give her it when we meet up. I shall advice to pick something up resembling an abaya.
I agree, scot47 -- a husband and wife shouldn't arrive in a KSA airport like that they've never been in before. It could turn into a 3-4 hour (or longer) nightmare if we end up going to different immigration hallways or get lost/separated. But we're both coming to Dammam from opposite directions (me from the West and she from the East -- wow, sounds like a beginning from a romantic novel!). We could have met in Dubai and flown together to Dammam. But my KSA employer said it would be no problem.
Yes, Mia Xanthi, my username here is Korean. "Bae" is a common family name. "Dae Bok" means either BIG STOMACH or MANY BLESSINGS. Am I Korean? I could be. What is my Korean connection? Mia, why are you familiar with Korean names? |
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