CAIRO – Egyptian Foreign Ministry said it is following up complaints of several Egyptian expatriates in Saudi Arabia about the late issuance of new passports.
In a statement released on Friday, the ministry explained that the delay in extracting the new passports was due to the full or partial suspension of air traffic in several world countries, including Arab Gulf states, where the largest proportion of Egyptian communities reside.
The statement added that Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry gave instructions to the Egyptian embassy and two consulates in the Kingdom to provide all consular services for Egyptian nationals.
Shoukry also directed staffers at the consular sector and the information technology sector at the ministry to swiftly develop an automated mechanism to complete the electronic filling of forms, which could contribute to shortening and simplifying procedures for issuing passports, the statement noted.
