Job Discussion Forums

[williamh4]

Does anyone know if you are excluded from entering and teaching in Saudi Arabia if you have been to Israel and have an Israeli stamp on your US passport?

[007]

Well, theoritically and politically speaking, the Magic Kingdom is in a state of war with Israel. So, you will not get the Magic entry visa in your passport until you burn your US passport which contains the 'I' stamp, and apply for a new passport with clean pages!

[johnslat]

Dear williamh4,

And not only Saudi:

"Countries that might not accept passports which contain Israeli stamps or visas:

Algeria
Iran
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Yemen

The countries listed above will not allow entry to people with evidence of visits to Israel or used or unused Israeli visas in their passports. Israeli border guards would once stamp a bit of paper instead of the passport in order to help visitors overcome these problems.
Some countries are aware of the exit stamps placed in passports by Egypt and Jordan at their land borders with Israel and will treat these stamps as a proof of visit to Israel and may block entry based on the presence of these stamps. For example, a traveller may be denied entry to certain countries because of the presence of an Egyptian exit stamp indicating the person left Egypt at Taba, at the Israeli border. Also, a traveller attempting to enter Syria from Jordan by land, and whose passport does not indicate how the traveller arrived in Jordan, might be denied entry by Syrian authorities.
Some Arab countries do allow entry for Israeli citizens, e.g. Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Mauritania, and Tunisia.
Australia, Austria, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Canada and United States may allow a passport holder to have two valid passports to circumvent the restrictions concerning Israel if the applicant can satisfactorily explain why a second passport is needed when applying."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_passport#Countries_that_do_not_accept_Israeli_passports

[Spinoza]

Tell Israeli border officials not to stamp your passport and tell them it's because you want to work in Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, they'll stamp it automatically. But tell them not to, and it's cool.