# I cannot Leave Saudi Arabia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824 "2008-07-09T13:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/61 "2008-07-10T14:16:58Z")
Ever hear of a “Saudi Haircut?” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/62 "2008-07-10T14:24:10Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] They probably need the money. [/QUOTE] Well, obviously. Selling gas for under a dollar a gallon, they’re probably running far, far in the red. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/63 "2008-07-10T14:29:05Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Ever hear of a “Saudi Haircut?” [/QUOTE] Heh. I’m pretty sure this isn’t what you’re talking about, but since I hadn’t heard the term before (my base speculation is that you’re talking about beheadings), I googled it–and found out that a Saudi governor has been rounding up men who flirt with women and forcing them to get a haircut. Um, gov, not exactly sure that punishment fits that crime. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/64 "2008-07-10T14:43:59Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Heh. I’m pretty sure this isn’t what you’re talking about, but since I hadn’t heard the term before (my base speculation is that you’re talking about beheadings), I googled it–and found out that a Saudi governor has been rounding up men who flirt with women and forcing them to get a haircut. Um, gov, not exactly sure that punishment fits that crime. Daniel [/QUOTE] What, you’ve never heard of Samson? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/65 "2008-07-10T15:09:22Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] found out that a Saudi governor has been rounding up men who flirt with women and forcing them to get a haircut. Um, gov, not exactly sure that punishment fits that crime. [/QUOTE] Shades of _The Mikado._ ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/66 "2008-07-10T15:15:41Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Shades of _The Mikado._ [/QUOTE] Ok, so there’s the flirtatious men getting their hair cut, yeah… but I suspect Paul meant something more along the lines of what carnivorousplant alluded to. Meaning, the haircut being a beheading. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/67 "2008-07-10T18:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Ever hear of a “Saudi Haircut?” [/QUOTE] Okay. So that might not be such a good idea, after all. Hmm… any chance the CIA types do any State Dept. work while maintaining their cover? ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/68 "2008-07-10T18:08:46Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] Gasoline here is US$ 0.65/gallon. [/QUOTE] Boy, are you in for a shock. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/69 "2008-07-10T18:14:32Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] American diplomatic personnel are so much better than everyone else. Want proof? Ask one. [/QUOTE] Heh! I have always heard complaints from my American friends here about the uselessness of the embassy when it comes to helping their fellow countrymen. European Embassies (the Italian and Spanish seemingly excluded for the reasons explained further below\*) seem to be much, much better at it. An example: To get a Dominican drivers license, which you must have if you are spending more than 15 days here, you need your embassy to give you a letter stating that your current license is valid in your home country. That, and some other documents, fast tracks your application, no tests required. The US embassy stopped issuing such letters. \*And here is the problem, as I understand it: There are too damn many of you. Everywhere. Some of you even are up to no good, so what the hell, they can afford losing a few. 😃 And the US embassy employing their military might to help a regular Joe out of a tight spot in TheMiddleOfNowhere only happens in movies. Sometimes being a citizen of a smaller country pays out. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/70 "2008-07-10T18:17:41Z")
Just for kicks, I converted the 6,600 riyals **Paul** mentioned that this could cost him earlier - that’s $1788.85 CAD or $1761.96 USD. Shee-yit. Fingers crossed for you here, too, **Paul**. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/71 "2008-07-10T18:27:59Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] Call it x… In Costa Rica for example, you need to pay an “exit fee” at the port of exit. No exit fee, no exit. And they accept Visa card or Dollars, not Colones :smack: (or at least they did two years ago when I had a project there). [/QUOTE] When I left Costa Rica in January, they accepted my payment in colones. But I had the feeling, while in Costa Rica, that just about everyone around there preferred Dollars. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/72 "2008-07-10T19:07:44Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] Wow, I always had Saudi Arabia on my list of places to visit. It just dropped from #180 to #185 because of what I know now. Hey, it’s a long list. [/QUOTE] It’s not easy to get in, either. From [this site](http://www.learn4good.com/travel/saudi_arabia_visa.htm): > [@](#): > > Visas are issued for business and work, to visit close relatives, and for transit and religious visits. Visas for tourism are issued only for approved tour groups following organized itineraries. Airport and seaport visas are not available. All visas require a sponsor, can take several months to process, and must be obtained prior to arrival. In the past, travellers were refused a Saudi visa because their passports reflected travel to Israel or indicated they were born in Israel, although this has not happened recently. Women visitors and residents are required to be met by their sponsor upon arrival. Women traveling alone, who are not met by sponsors, have experienced delays before being allowed to enter the country or to continue on other flights. I thought they did not issue tourist visas at all but I see that they do and there are tour operators who offer packages. But I am assuming that the itinerary is tightly controlled by the government. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/73 "2008-07-10T19:45:32Z")
[QUOTE=Mighty\_Girl] And the US embassy employing their military might to help a regular Joe out of a tight spot in TheMiddleOfNowhere only happens in movies. Sometimes being a citizen of a smaller country pays out. [/QUOTE] What? as in an act of war? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/74 "2008-07-10T19:53:19Z")
[QUOTE=Mighty\_Girl] Sometimes being a citizen of a smaller country pays out. [/QUOTE] As in the case of the [Great Canadian Boatlift](http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/07/18/evacuation-logistics.html), during which every registered Canadian in Lebanon was evacuated in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/75 "2008-07-10T22:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] What? as in an act of war? [/QUOTE] Detaining a citizen of one’s country could be considered an act of war, under the “you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!” clause. Anyway, I suggest that **Paul** grab a couple of camels and head for Aqaba. Hey, it worked for T.E. Lawrence! Just bring water. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/76 "2008-07-10T22:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Lance Murdoch] What? as in an act of war? [/QUOTE] I guess I wasn’t clear enough. I was referring to many Americans I’ve known who have threatened “to call their embassy” for really minor inconveniences. I have no idea what they think the embassy will do. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/77 "2008-07-10T22:55:58Z")
**Paul** , I’m sorry you’re stuck! It’s terrible. I’m also sorry to hear that the US Embassy is less than useful. What’s the point of having an Embassy if it won’t help out citiznes?! :mad: Let us know if there is anything we can do to help you through this Kafkaesque nightmare. I can’t wait for you to become PaulOutOfSaudi. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/78 "2008-07-10T23:59:30Z")
[QUOTE=Typo Knig] What’s the point of having an Embassy if it won’t help out citiznes? [/QUOTE] I presume they are busy sucking up to the Saudis about oil. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/79 "2008-07-11T00:37:30Z")
Funny story about an Indian trying to leave the kingdom: [http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/may/31bsp.htm](http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/may/31bsp.htm) You can always try to get arrested and deported as an illegal. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824/80 "2008-07-11T01:20:11Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] I don’t suppose a jerrycan would be acceptable as a carry on? 😛 [/QUOTE] How about a _very_ long hose? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cannot-leave-saudi-arabia/455824.md?page=5)