Traveling from Saudi Arabia can be a challenge and I am referring to international travel from the Kingdom. To begin with, flights get filled quickly so one must make their bookings early. If you do find yourself having problems getting a flight out, start thinking out of the box. For example, international flights out of Riyadh going to Paris (Air France), Zurich (Swiss) and Frankfurt (Lufthansa) are very popular as well as always full. The same will apply to British Midland Airlines (UK) which flies into Jeddah. And Saudi Airlines does a brisk business too with full flights. My advice is if you are trying to depart from either Riyadh or Jeddah and run into booking conflicts, then see if you can fly to Damman and catch an international flight. KLM flies into Damman as well as many other airlines. Now if Damman is booked up, other doable alternatives are to fly from KSA into Bahrain or Doha where one can catch Qatar Air or Air Jordanian.
Now that’s half the battle…getting ones flight out of Saudi Arabia. But what do you need to know if your ultimate destination from Saudi Arabia is USA? First and foremost, patience! Regardless of which airport is ones point of entry anyone coming from Saudi Arabia (whether or not a Saudi citizen) will likely undergo more scrutiny through U.S. Customs and Immigration. And if you are coming in to the US via Saudi Airlines, expect even more time in Customs and Immigration than if your flight entered via Europe or elsewhere. If at all possible, try to have your port of entry airport be the same as your final destination airport in the US. Otherwise if you have a connecting flight make sure to have at least 3-5 hours layover to allow sufficient time to not only clear customs but to make sure your bags will get placed on the connecting flight as well.
Filed under: America, culture, safety, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, travel, Uncategorized
I definately got the third degree comming into chicago from KSA. Going thru passport control was insane, and the lady was asking me all kinds of crazy questions like “why are you coming to the usa” “who do you know here” “how long are you staying” I was like…I’m an American!!! But really, if you are coming from the Middle east, expect to be treated like an outsider. I also had to go thru extra customs inspection. Make sure you have plenty of extra time!
Umm Sumayah – your experiences are indeed pretty typical…even for an American…when coming from KSA.
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Hi Carol,
Two countires with extreme security measures! One with Islamic Sharia Laws and the other with the Anti-terrorists laws!!! I would like to fly between these two countries… Have a safe journey..
Good comparison Gladys!
Back in my day… Getting a flight to the US was not a matter of making a reservation; it was a matter of getting the best price from competing airlines.
Coming into NY or CHI from Riyadh was always the fastest, most efficient customs clearance I ever had. When I first started travelling back and forth, I needed four flights to arrive at my final destination. Over the years, as routes changed– and I became more clever at planning trips — I was able to take only one flight!
All of this was WAY before 9/11, of course. Reading this blog over time has taught me that life in the Kingdom just “ain’t what it used to be.”
You’re not alone in that view Marahm. My husband also continues to tell me how much things have changed since he had last lived here too.
In 2004, my Indonesian friend was working for Royal Saudi Airlines. She decided to come visit me here in DC for a couple weeks and was able to fly for free. They had a layover in NY, and as it was the US entry point for this flight, everyone had to go through customs. My friend got through with no problem whatsoever. Her coworker, a very sweet 20-something Syrian, also traveling for a holiday, was put through the ringer. She said they had practically interrogated her to the point of tears. When I met them at Dulles, this girl was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, not covered, just another girl on a plane (my opinion), and yet we think it was her passport that caused the hassle. She was incredibly stressed from the experience and I felt horrible for her.
I can’t imagine having to go through something like that.
it probably was due to her nationality. Not fun for sure.
Carol,
I have relevant questions and I need help on them if you may.
I’m supposed to visit my brother (American citizen) next year (in 2009), I haven’t seen him for ages, does having an American national brother ease things for you? or you have to do the whole nine yards (Go to Riyadh, 3 months prior to an interview, 3 weeks for Visa…etc) ?
I have a Visa that had expired back in 2005, it was issued for my study in California, can it be renewed or am I gonna have to issue a new one altogether?
Please advise,
Thanks,
I remember before 9/11 many Canadian landed immigrants who were not staying the required number of days in Canada used to land in USA (where at that time they didn’t need visa) and then coming via the land border – US immigration was less strict than Canadian immigration!
Now of course all that has changed.
I just came back to the US DC airport through Dubai and I did not encounter any issues. The immigration officer asked which countries I visited, which I told him I was in the UAE and Saudi. He just said welcome home and handed me my stamped passport back. It was very uneventful like every other time I came into US ports. I know there are some people encountering issues out there, but I never had any so far.
Loay,
I have nieces and nephews visit with us in the US regularly. In their case, having me here helped in visas as I can provide financial guarantees and have a known residence. They also went through an interview but took only a few days to get their visa. Also, having an older visa is a plus as that means you do not have to go through some of the checks a new person does.
Your post touched on flights heading to US and Europe. I wonder what about flights within the Middle East, to Africa and Asia?
Based on my experience, the terminal transfer between international airlines terminal and Saudi Arabian Airlines’ terminal at Jeddah’s airport is the most stressful one.
We were heading to Madinah via Jeddah and not dressed like typical pilgrims and after being transported to the terminal, all of the passengers on board our flight were moved here, there and everywhere by the officials looking for the shortest queue.
I was impressed with the Saudi officials when I remembered a family whose daughter is suffering from cancer and sitting on a wheelchair was given priority to clear immigration. In fact, her family and I shared the same flight. I don’t know if we met her again in Makkah or not but I did read her experience in Makkah in the newspapers after my return.
From the international terminal to the Saudi terminal was full of confusion since we travelled on interline ticket and once again, we were heralded here, there and everywhere. It was the most stressful thing and I nearly broke down in tears out of frustration.
Alhamdulilah, someone was kind enough to guide and assist us with the checking-in and processing of the luggage. I suspect the check in personnels weren’t too familiar with interline tickets but in the end, everything went well despite having one of our luggage being left at Jeddah due to a missed connection.
Even the cabin crew on board Saudi Arabian Airlines was wonderful and friendly. I remembered being kissed by a Lebanese flight stewardess and granted permission to take a picture of the cockpit by the pilots.
Firdaus, thank you for sharing your experience. I really cannot offer any comments in regards to flights to Africa or elsewhere in the GCC but perhaps some readers can.
Reuters picked up this post recently:
http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/entertainment?bbPostId=B6kcqoGH9Pf8Bzn7nRZ5sNNoBAbiHeTWLFtxB1chEit5oAJC