When you get to the airport's gate the randomness begins. Porters compete to carry your luggage, then you attempt to obtain a boarding pass from the slow begrudging employee and find that there is a malfunctioning computer system; then you shuffle to a security check line beset with similar problems, then you grope for a place to sit near your supposed departure gate, which could of course be changed at any time, before you finally plonk yourself down with fears that an announcement of your flight being cancelled or delayed may be made. Yes, of course, it's the same situation at the arrival terminals. Long lines, people squatting, the atmosphere fraught as officials at Passports control points scream at one passenger to move and bark at another who dared to ask a question. Then you start your quixotic search for your luggage. You guess from where it will emerge, recount stories you heard about lost luggage, before you pass Customs and turn into a gazelle chased by legal and illegal taxi drivers, who sometimes offer their services angrily. In King Khaled Airport in Riyadh, King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd Airport in Dammam, the same stories abound and failures continue, as if airports are “unintentionally” not concerning themselves with domestic and foreign tourism. But recently fed-up passengers arriving at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh complained about the lines at Passports Department counters, the delay in entry and exit procedures, and demanded that problems be solved, as these long lines harm the Kingdom's reputation. Muhammad Abdulhameed, an expatriate, said arriving passengers, especially foreigners, suffer long delays in computing procedures and having their passports stamped at these counters. Ali Salim, a resident, thinks that the reason for delays is the Passports Department's computer system, according to a report in Al-Hayat newspaper. “If the system fails then a technician must come and fix it which means some passengers will be delayed. The situation is worse of course in times of holidays when many people travel abroad.” Ahmad Al-Braiki, a resident, said he waited for half an hour to get his passport stamped when he arrived in the Kingdom. He called for more organization like what is found in “advanced airports”. However, a spokesman for the Passports Department, said: “There's no overcrowding at airports . . especially at Passports Department's counters.” “We are determined to process passengers' procedures as fast as possible. A Saudi would not have to wait for more than one minute while an expatriate has to wait three to five minutes,” he said. The spokesman said that the computer system facilitates passengers' procedures, saying that if it fails there is a backup system that will work efficiently. Meanwhile, a number of special-needs persons expressed their resentment for the “treatment” and “services” they face at King Khaled Airport and at Saudi Arabian Airlines offices. They demanded “better treatment” and “special rights given their special circumstances''. Muhammad Al-Qadi, a special-needs person, related the story of an incident that happened before his eyes at King Khaled Airport. “I arrived at the special-needs office at the airport to finish some procedures for my family when I saw how the employee was dealing with other special-needs passengers he was supposed to serve. He was rude and impolite, screaming at passengers and telling them to get away from his office.” Salman Al-Hamoudi, a man who witnessed the incident, said it “was bad, and what made it worse is that it was happening in front of the employee's supervisor who said nothing.” Al-Ajhar, a Saudia spokesman, admitted that the employee at the special-needs counter is supposed to be more polite for this “precious segment of society as some employees harm the company with their actions.” He said Saudi Arabian Airlines has opened offices designed to serve clients at the three main airports. “These offices will receive complaints if passengers feel that they have not been well-treated,” he said, adding that the supervisor is the one who should have dealt with what happened in front of him but said maybe he lacked the experience.
