Hussein Shobokshi
Are Saudis being “profiled” and discriminated against by some countries? This question is a valid one and so many Saudis have had this share of stories and “encounters” with diplomatic and immigration officers in many countries to create enough doubt in their minds to reach that conclusion.
The profiling can be subtle and hard to notice or it can be blunt and in your face! The Saudis have expected to get “individual” episodes from personnel from Canada, UK and USA, France and a few other European countries. These episodes are mostly precautionary steps and measures.
This is not the case anymore today. You can clearly add a country that is exercising a clear form of discrimination against Saudis; and that country is Argentina.
I would have a hard time saying that sentence before, except that I was involved personally in such an experience. I applied for a visa for my son and his wife.
After a miserable series of unexplainable reactions from the Argentinian Embassy staff in Riyadh, we managed to “meet someone in-charge”.
They made sure to tell us that the process is going to be “extremely difficult” and “there are no guarantees” and “if you have another destination, go to it.” I was perplexed to say the least. I could not really comprehend this odd behavior!
Then I was bluntly told there is a special process for Saudis. It has to be monitored, scrutinized and sent to Argentina for the decision; this will take 60 days, again, with no guarantees!
I have never seen such an attitude anywhere by a “friendly country” which was recently involved in the Arab-Latin Summit in Riyadh.
I realized there is more to the story; the Argentinian authorities are not granting visas to “Saudis by policy” and only in very few exceptions particularly for holders of diplomatic passports. I was flabbergasted at such an attitude.
It’s completely ridiculous, coming from a country that is supposedly a melting point for people from all over the world. A country that elected a president of Arab origin, all of that goes out of the window, I guess, if you’re a Saudi applying to a tourist visa to Argentina.
