RIYADH — Sponsors will be fined and punished for failure to renew Muqeem or resident ID cards of their employees on time, according to the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat). The punishment will include the suspension of electronic services being provided to sponsors. The Passport Department also urged expatriates to renew Muqeem cards of their dependents before expiry through Abshir and Muqeem electronic services to avoid fines and punishments. Once the card has expired, the holder won't be able to use e-services for official work. According to the regulations, the punishments will be doubled in case the violations were repeated. The Passport Department started issuing Muqeem cards in October 2015. The Muqeem cards replaced iqamas or resident permits. The cards are valid for five years, but it is extended every year electronically. The Muqeem ID contains the holder's photo, his/her nationality, date of birth, occupation, name of sponsor and the card's expiry date after five years.
