Iqama forms shortage? Govt rejects claim

With the countdown beginning for the amnesty period to come to an end, a crisis of sorts is brewing in Makkah region with several business establishments complaining of shortage of residency forms at the Makkah Passport office, hampering the pace of processing of papers for correction of status.
Col. Abdullah Al-Thubaiti, director of Makkah Passport Department, however, dismissed the allegations stating that enough forms were available and that the department was working “at full capacity” both in terms of manpower and equipment for speedy processing of applications, be it from individuals or business establishments.
“The allegations are not true. We submit weekly reports and statistics to the Directorate General of Passports, and they announce the numbers exactly. I think it would be better if people used the online ‘Abshir’ system, which saves them the trouble of physically coming to the passport office,” he said.
Even as officials deny any shortage of forms, people involved in the processing of applications for many business establishments and firms in Makkah area said that there was a “crisis” not only on account of shortage of forms, but also because of insufficient number of staff who handle the applications. And with the amnesty deadline fast approaching, it is a serious issue.
“We are facing problems while submitting applications,” said Ibrahim Al-Suruji, a processor working for a large contracting company in Makkah. “We submit 100 applications, but only five are accepted. The person at the counter says the reason is that he does not have enough forms. And he also cites the insufficient number of staff,” he said.
“If we fail to finish processing the applications in time, we will have to pay fines although we do turn in the residency permits for renewal prior to their expiry dates,” he said, and urged the passport department to increase the number of staff to facilitate speedy processing of applications for status normalization.