God I love synchronicity.
Thread: I cannot Leave Saudi Arabia
Last Post by: WhyNot
My username’s good for that. There was one this morning, something about “Genocide in America - Why Not?” that kept making me twitch and look around to see who was coming for me!
Of course. I have little else to do until this gets sorted.
The company will not issue and exit/reentry visa to permit me to do a runner. It causes contractual problems.
First stop this morning is the travel agency. Then I guess I just wait around.
Apparently, you should just follow the Google links at the bottom…
(I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you, Paul. holds breath as well)
Google ads?
I am getting:
Beautiful KSA Women
Meet KSA girls & KSA woman. Chat Date Saudi girls. Join free now.
www.Muslima2Marry.Net
I swear, it says “Visa To Saudi Arabia
Specialize in Visa To Saudi Arabia Visa Requirements & Processing
VisaConnection.biz” here…
What we all want to know is - when (if?) you get out, what’s your user name going to be?
Have you ever had a chance to check out Saudi Arabia’s import and export regulations? I have, and lemme tell ya, that is one theocracy that is a big fan of strange rules and Iron-Curtain-style hegemony.
For the record, I had my Israeli entrance visa stuck to the outside of my passport to make it absolutely clear that I would never have the pleasure of visiting that hellhole (Saudi Arabia). Anything or anyone that has ever been on Israeli soil–including Palestinian refugees, who could really use a home in Saudi Arabia, I bet–is not allowed to enter the country for any reason. Of course, like all of Saudi Arabia’s other laws, the royal family is exempt. (The Israeli customs people are really nice about it, though–they give you the option of carrying your visa separately so that, if the need comes up, you can pretend you’ve never been there.)
I sympathize with you, Paul, since IIRC you really liked what you were doing over there and you seemed to enjoy the chance to take in a new culture, but I have to ask you: Did you really not see this coming? Or something like this, anyway? I don’t mean to kick you while you’re down, but this is exactly the reason why I’ve never considered voluntarily living under a dictatorship or a theocracy. I always thought something like this would happen to you and I’m sorry to see that it has.
I assume he means 25%.
I wouldn’t call them Tories, though…
Paul in Saudi, not that I’m suggesting you do anything illegal, but what if you were to accidentally fall into a neighboring country and claim refugee status or get political asylum?
Paul,
Forgive me for being so mundane, but why do they care if you sold the car?
There used to be a problem with expats abandoning cars all over the place. You also have to have a clean record with the phone companies, banks and whatnot.
They probably need the money. 
I’ve had to get exit visas in three countries. Russia, Turkmenistan and Qatar. Like Paul says, don’t expect the government to work on a weekend and don’t expect your ex-employer to lift a finger to help. Good luck with the paperwork!
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.
The Dominican Republic also has a small exit fee. Most airlines include it with the ticket, others don’t. Tourists are warned to keep the money, as it seems some people would spend their last cent and go home penniless. 
What the Dominican government does with people who have no money is anyone’s guess.
Panama and Egypt both have airport taxes upon departure. Egypt also has the hard-currency-only shops inside the departure area. Sad really.
Foreign residents in Thailand used to have to show a tax-clearance certificate anytime they wanted to leave the country. They abolished that around 1990. Foreigners can leave freely now.
Thailand used to have an airport tax that was paid separately, but as of about a year ago, it’s incorporated into the cost of the ticket.
Really?
When I was this close of being deported in Kuala Lumpur because the airline sent me to the frigging wrong country (yep, you read that right) the embassy of my country not just helped, the consul himself went to the airport, negotiated my release with the immigration office, drove me to the Thai embassy, lent me some money for the visa fee because I didn´t have the chance to exchange any, took me to the Uruguayan embassy, gave me coffee and cookies and then droped me at a hotel.
You should ask, and get more from your consular services.
Anyway, good luck on leaving soon.
American diplomatic personnel are so much better than everyone else. Want proof? Ask one.
In fact if you meet a US diplomat you like and who enjoys talking to you, he is almost certainly CIA.
Howzabout Paul formerly in Saudi?
Or Paul barely escaped from Saudi?
Say, Paul, doesn’t Saudi deport people caught proselytizing? Perhaps you need to print out some tracks from the bible, and take up street preaching.
ETA: Of course, if you think you might ever want to go back to Saudi, I don’t think this would be a good idea.