By Ibrahim Alawi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The Passport Department (Jawazat) has asked all its departments in various regions to thoroughly scrutinize the stamps of arrival and departure on the passports of Saudi citizens who may intend to travel to the banned countries without official permits.

The Jawazat said some Saudis may travel to other countries to go from there to the countries they are banned from traveling to without official permits.

It said the banned countries do not usually stamp the passports of the Saudis on arrival or departure to enable them avoid questioning when they return to the Kingdom.

The Jawazat asked for turning in the violators to the concerned administrative committees to take necessary actions against them.

The Kingdom has banned its citizens from traveling without official travel permits to Yemen, Syria, Israel, Thailand, Iran and Iraq.

Lately, the Kingdom added Qatar to the banned countries to become the seventh country on the list.

The violators may face a ban on traveling anywhere for three years and a maximum fine of SR10,000