Friday, August 24, 2012 12:59 AM

AL-BATHA BORDER CROSSING -- A large number of Saudis who spent their Eid holidays in the UAE expressed their concern over the problem of waiting for long hours at the checkpoint in Al-Batha, while returning home. 

According to reports, some Saudi families have spent over 14 hours waiting on the Saudi side of the checkpoint. The distressed Saudi families then called the authorities to step in and investigate the causes of the delay and provide an immediate solution to the problem.

However, the Emirati side of the border known as Al-Ghuwaifat, there were no long lines as travel documents were promptly being processed, whereas on the Saudi side, the number of citizens and residents crossing the border was significantly low. 

Saudi national Naser Al-Dossary, said that he has never seen thousands of cars and people waiting in long queues on the Saudi side of the Al-Batha checkpoint, when he was on his way to the UAE. 

Al-Dossary said at the UAE checkpoint the process was faster as it only took him one hour and 20 minutes to cross into the Emirates, despite the number of cars being equivalent on both sides. 

Muhammad Al-Hanna, another Saudi citizen from Riyadh, said that there was a lot chaos and people were fighting. In one incident he had to interfere to separate two people who had entered into a gauntlet. 

Al-Hanna further said that he helped get water for elderly people and those who were experiencing health problems due to heat and the long wait. He further said that he used his Twitter account to upload pictures of the havoc in order to warn people from coming to the checkpoint. 

Abdullah Al-Bakr from Hail told Al-Hayat Daily that he tired to go back to Hail after they were stuck for four hours, but they could not do so because of the traffic.


Saudi writer Abdulaziz Al-Suwayed of Al-Hayat newspaper described the scenario of Al-Batha checkpoint funny, adding that the best way to take advantage of the situation is to sell drinks and water to the thirsty people who have been waiting for more than 14 hours in the heat. 

"Passengers crossing to the UAE side of the entry point were greeted with water and juice - the best gesture from the UAE people," said Al-Suwayed.


He added that the number of cars he saw at the checkpoint must have been the largest in the Middle East.

© The Saudi Gazette 2012