Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM – Barring some nationalities, dependents of expatriate workers who arrive for the first time in the Kingdom are now exempt from obligatory medical examinations to get residence permits (iqamas), according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).



These regulations also apply to dependents who want to renew their residence permits, a section of the Arabic press reported on Sunday, citing a circular sent by MoH to all its primary healthcare centers across the Kingdom.



The ministry stressed in the circular that the exemption applies to family members of workers but not to workers themselves. All workers should undergo medical examinations the first time they arrive in the Kingdom as a precautionary measure against some communicable diseases, the circular said.



However, people coming to the Kingdom on work visas and their dependents carrying residence visas must get medical certificates in their home countries from health centers authorized by the Saudi authorities.



But farmers and shepherds from Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, and Ethiopia should have these medical tests before they are allowed to enter Saudi territories. This is because these countries are known to have a high rate of bilharziasis, an infestation, or a resulting infection caused by a parasite of the genus Schistosoma.



An MoH source told Al-Hayat Arabic language daily that authorities have noticed recently that many farmers and shepherds, especially from Sudan, were found to be suffering from bilharziasis and AIDS.



Ethiopian farmers and shepherds will undergo more intensive medical examinations because they come from places that have stagnant water and swamps.



A number of expats, who recently called their family members on residence visas, confirmed to Saudi Gazette that they were not asked to go for medical examinations.



“I went to my office mandoob to get the iqama for my wife, who arrived in the Kingdom last week.



“The mandoob told me that she did not need a medical examination report,” said an expat worker in Jeddah.



From last May, the Passport Department started accepting only electronic medical reports for renewing or issuing iqamas for workers.