JEDDAH — The Passports Department (Jawazat) has refuted claims of an Egyptian passenger that he had left for Cairo through King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah without a passport. A Jawazat spokesman said the passport control measures at all of Kingdom's airports, seaports and land crossings "are too tight to be breached by anyone". "No body can ever break the tight security measures at our entry and exit points," he added. The spokesman was commenting on a report circulated by the Egyptian media that an Egyptian traveler arrived in Cairo from Jeddah without a passport and that the unidentified passenger used only his national ID to go out of the Kingdom. The spokesman said though the Jawazat has not so far received any official notification from the concerned Egyptian authorities regarding the alleged discrepancy, it has already started verifying the media claims. "A comprehensive investigation has begun at the KAIA to ascertain or nullify the claims and an official statement on the incident would be issued as soon as the investigations were completed," he said. The spokesman described the claims that the tight security measures at KAIA could be broken as untrue and nothing but an outright hoax. He said no regular expatriate resident can leave the Kingdom without an exit-reentry or a final exit visa. "Those who come to the Kingdom for Umrah or visit will be allowed to leave only after the validity of their visa has been checked," he added. He said after a boarding pass was issued, the immigration officers would thoroughly check the validity of both the passport and the entry visa. "It is only after doing this that the passport will be stamped for departure," he added. The spokesman said only on completing these procedures a passenger would be allowed into the departure lounge. "Before boarding the bus taking the passengers to the aircraft, the passport and the boarding pass will again be checked," he added. The Egyptian press did not identify the passenger but said he was able to arrive in Cairo using his national ID instead of a passport. The concerned authorities at the Cairo airport were questioning the passenger who arrived two days ago to know how he was able to travel without an official travel document. The passenger said he paid a sum of $7,000 to an Asian worker in the airport to facilitate his departure. He said his sponsor refused to give him his passport and he was scared to go to the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah.
