Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/saudi_ar.tvl

Text File | 1994-04-11 | 8.1 KB | 141 lines

#CARD:Saudi Arabia:Travel\Consular Information
Saudi Arabia - Consular Information Sheet
August 31, 1993

Country Description:  Saudi Arabia is a traditional monarchy, governed by
the Al-Saud family in consultation with a Council of Ministers appointed by
the king.  Islamic law is the basis of the authority of the monarchy, and
provides the conservative foundation of the country's customs and practices.
 Saudi Arabia has a modern and well-developed infrastructure and tourist
facilities are widely available, although the country does not issue visas
for tourism.  The workweek in Saudi Arabia is Saturday through Wednesday.

Entry Requirements:  Passports and visas are required.  Tourist visas are
not available for travel to Saudi Arabia.  Visas are required for persons on
vessels calling at the port of Jeddah.  Visitors must have a business or
personal sponsor.  Residents in Saudi Arabia generally must surrender their
passports, and the passports of family members, to the Saudi sponsor while
in the kingdom, and are required to get an exit/reentry visa each time they
leave Saudi Arabia.  Visitors to Saudi Arabia generally obtain meningitis
and cholera vaccinations prior to arrival.  A medical report is required to
obtain a work and residence permit.  This includes a medical certification
stating that the individual is free of AIDS.  Temporary visitors need not
present an AIDS-free certification.  For further information on entry
requirements, travelers may contact the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, 601
New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, telephone [phone],
or a Saudi Arabian Consulate General in Los Angeles (telephone 213-208-
6566), New York (telephone [phone]) or Houston (telephone [phone]).

Exit Permission:  Residents in Saudi Arabia may not depart the country
without obtaining an exit permit, which requires the approval of their Saudi
sponsor.  U.S. consular officials are not able to sponsor an exit permit for
a U.S. citizen under any circumstances.  A woman married to a Muslim must
have her husband's permission for herself and her children to depart the
country, even if they are U.S. citizens.

Medical Facilities:  Basic modern medical care and medicines are available
in several hospitals and health centers in Saudi Arabia.  Doctors and
hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services.  U.S.
medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States.
Supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage has proved
useful.  The international travelers hotline at the Centers for Disease
Control, telephone [phone], has additional health information.

Information on Crime:  Crime is generally not a problem for travelers in
Saudi Arabia.  However, private Saudi citizens who perceive that
conservative standards of conduct are not being observed by a foreigner may
harass, pursue, or assault the person.  The loss or theft of a U.S. passport
abroad should be reported immediately to local police and the nearest U.S.
Embassy or Consulate.

Useful information on safeguarding valuables and protecting personal
security while traveling abroad is provided in the Department of State
pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad."  General information about travel to Saudi
Arabia can be found in the Department of State publication "Tips for
Travelers to the Middle East and North Africa."  Both pamphlets are
available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

Alcohol and Drug Penalties:  U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the
country in which they are traveling.  Penalties for the import, manufacture,
possession and consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs are strict and
convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines.  Saudi officials
make no exceptions.  The penalty for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia can be
death.

Business Disputes:  Prior to the execution of a final contract, some
business persons and contract employees of Saudi companies have obtained an
independent translation of the Arabic-language contract, to ensure a full
understanding of all terms, limits and agreements. Settlement of disputes
depends on the type of agreement and the agency involved.  If the Saudi
party in a business dispute files a complaint with the Saudi authorities,
Saudi law permits barring the exit of the foreign party from the country
until the dispute is settled.  U.S. consular officers can provide lists of
local attorneys to help U.S. citizens settle business disputes, but ultimate
responsibility for the resolution of disputes through the Saudi legal system
lies with the parties involved.

General Standards of Conduct:  Islam pervades all aspects of life in Saudi
Arabia.  It is the official religion of the country, and observance of any
other religion is forbidden.  Non-Muslim religious services and articles
such as crosses and Bibles are illegal.  Travel to Mecca and Medina, the
cities where the two holy mosques of Islam are located, is forbidden to non-
Muslims.

The norms for public behavior in Saudi Arabia are extremely conservative.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington advises women to dress in a conservative
fashion, wearing ankle-length dresses with long sleeves, and not to wear
trousers in public.  In many areas of Saudi Arabia, particularly Riyadh and
the central part of the kingdom, the Saudi religious police, known as
mutawwa, pressure women to wear a full-length black covering known as an
abaya and to cover their heads.  The result is that most women in these
areas wear the abaya and carry a headscarf to avoid harassment.  Arab-
American women, especially Muslims, face a greater risk of harassment than
non-Muslims about their dress.

Men and women who are beyond childhood years may not mingle in public,
unless they are family members.  Women are not allowed to drive vehicles or
ride bicycles on public roads.  In public, dancing, music, and movies are
forbidden.  Recently, women who are not accompanied by a close male relative
(i.e., husband, brother, son) have not been permitted to enter restaurants,
particularly fast-food outlets.  In addition, many restaurants no longer
have a "family section" in which women are permitted to eat.  These
restrictions are not always posted, and in a few cases women violating this
policy have been arrested by the mutawwa.

To ensure that conservative standards of conduct are observed, Saudi
religious police (mutawwa) have harassed, accosted or arrested foreigners,
including U.S. citizens, for perceived dress code or other infractions.
While most incidents have resulted only in inconvenience or embarrassment,
the potential exists for an individual to be physically harmed or deported.
U.S. citizens who are involved in an incident with the mutawwa may report
the incident to the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh or the U.S. Consulate General in
Jeddah or Dhahran.

Registration:  U.S. citizens who register at the U.S. Embassy or the U.S.
Consulates General may obtain updated information on travel and security
within Saudi Arabia.

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is located at
Collector Road M, Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter. The mailing address is P.O. Box
94309, Riyadh 11693, or AMEMB, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307.  The Embassy
telephone number is (966-1) 488-3800, fax[phone].  The Consulate
General in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is located between Aramco Headquarters and
Dhahran International Airport.  The mailing address is P.O. Box 81, Dhahran
Airport 31932, or Unit 66803, APO AE 09858-6803.  The telephone number is
(966-3) 891-3200, fax [phone].  The Consulate General in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia, is located on Palestine Road, Ruwais. The mailing address is
P.O. Box 149, or Unit 62112, APO AE 09811-2112.  The telephone number is
(966-2) 667-0080, fax [phone].

No. 93-224

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet for Saudi Arabia dated January
8, 1993, to include more information on crime, entry requirements, drug
penalties, and general standards of conduct and to add information on
reporting a lost or stolen passport.

#ENDCARD