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Saudis Warned Against Pawning Passports
13 July 2009
RIYADH: The Passport Department has launched an awareness campaign — entitled Your Passport Is Your Identity, Its Protection Is Your Responsibility — calling on Saudi citizens to look after their passports while abroad. The campaign has been launched to inform Saudis to keep away from visiting dangerous locations when abroad and to never pawn their passports. The campaign began at the start of the school vacation when thousands of Saudis head abroad to enjoy summer holidays, Al-Watan newspaper reported. Adel Al-Amri, a Saudi traveling out of King Abdulaziz International Airport, said he knows the importance of registering at the Saudi Embassy while traveling in a foreign country. “I know that Saudi passports are increasingly being targeted by thieves abroad. People shouldn’t trust hotel safes; there is no safe place for passports,” he added. Ibrahim bin Taleb, another Saudi traveler, said criminals often look to steal Saudi passports. “People need to be careful and avoid dangerous places. The least they can do is leave their passports in their hotel safes,” he said. “I’ve never faced trouble abroad because I avoid trouble. Saudis should not, under any circumstance, pawn their passports as this could lead to immense problems,” he added. Yahya Al-Abidi said 50 percent of Saudi youths are not aware of the problems entailed in pawning passports. “Some youths think that a passport is like a credit card. They think if you lose one you can easily get a replacement. This is a mistake and indicative of a huge lack of awareness,” he added. He called on the Ministry of Education to teach high school students about the importance of protecting official documents such as passports. Rayan Saud lost his passport in a neighboring Arab country and was blackmailed into giving a huge amount of cash to get it back. “It happened seven years ago when I was visiting an Arab country on holiday. I lost my passport in a hotel and a group of workers offered to find it in exchange for some money,” he said. Saud said he approached the Saudi Embassy, which contacted the hotel management and threatened to take legal action if the passport was not returned. “The hotel manager launched an investigation and found the passport. A cleaner had taken it and was trying to extort some cash from me,” he added. Suleiman Al-Dossary faced a situation where some people tried to steal his passport. “They will do whatever they can to get hold of your passport. They will be nice and make you trust them into giving them your passport,” he said. “While visiting Europe, I came into contact with some crooks posing as businessmen. They made a business proposal and wanted my passport for some silly reason. They followed me to my hotel and began pestering me. Finally, I had no choice but to contact the embassy, which dealt with them legally,” he added. “I was lucky that I knew I needed to protect my passport. Not many Saudis realize this and they often end up becoming victims,” he added.
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