Date Posted: July 6, 2009
Source: P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News

Saudi Arabia will introduce fingerprinting and full-face digital photographs for visa applicants next year as part of its efforts to strengthen its security, prevent identity theft and combat terrorism.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that it was calling for tenders from specialized international firms to set up a network of centers to provide biometric services to people applying for visas to the Kingdom.

“This important initiative has been taken to strengthen the Kingdom’s security and improve services to visa applicants,” said Prince Khaled bin Saud, undersecretary at the ministry. He said authorized biometric service centers would receive visa applications on behalf of Saudi embassies and missions, adding that they would provide quick, quality service at reasonable charges.

“These service centers will be established with the support of one or more trading partners and they will be under the supervision of the ministry and Saudi missions abroad,” Prince Khaled said. “The centers will not only receive visa applications but also take fingerprints and full-face digital photos of the applicants,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the prince as saying.

He said foreigners must provide their biometric data to obtain all kinds of visas to the Kingdom, adding that biometric service centers would be established in major cities around the world from 2010.

The new move comes after the United Kingdom introduced the system for visa applicants. Subsequently, the Council of Ministers instructed the Foreign Ministry two weeks ago to sign a memorandum of understanding with the UK to facilitate taking biometric data of Saudis and expatriates intending to visit Britain.

The Cabinet also instructed the Foreign Ministry to hold talks with countries intending to introduce similar visa regulations. The UK was the first European Union member country to adopt biometrics and has so far rolled out the procedure at its visa issuing centers in many countries worldwide.

“It’s basically to make the process much safer for the individual traveler,” one expert told Arab News. “It’s going to protect them against identity theft and against document abuse,” he added.

“Identity theft is a major growing problem globally. It helps terrorism and organized crime, and undermines national economies,” the expert said. “The new system helps keep visa applicants and their families safe from crime and terrorism. Visa applicants won’t be accidentally mistaken for another person with the same or similar name,” he pointed out.

Saudi Arabia has already begun fingerprinting and taking digital full-face photos of foreigners coming to the Kingdom on visit, Umrah and work visas. Foreign passengers are in long queues at airports and other entry points to have their fingerprints and full-face photos taken. The new biometric system will get rid of the long queues and delays at airports for fingerprinting. Prince Khaled did not give an exact date for introducing the new system for visa issuance.

Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, Director-General of the Passport Department, urged all foreign workers to get their biometric data registered as soon as possible so that they can avoid snags in getting their re-entry visas stamped on time.

“The fingerprinting process will take no more than five minutes. You should make sure that you do not have any decoration (such as henna), or any cuts or other markings on your fingertips before having your fingerprints taken,” one security source said. One should also make sure that there are no cuts or bruises on his/her face.