Muneef Al-Kuwaikby Okaz/Saudi Gazette TABUK — Dr. Hamad Al-Hajri, the Kingdom's deputy ambassador in Amman, has revealed that at least 31 Saudis are serving time in Jordanian prisons for various offenses. Al-Hajri told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that most of these prisoners were convicted of drug-related charges. He said the prisoner exchange agreement between the Kingdom and Jordan would cover all drug-related cases. The Saudi Shoura Council has approved the agreement of transferring convicted prisoners between Saudi Arabia and Jordan as part of a humanitarian move to allow prisoners' relatives to visit them without the hassle of traveling between the two counties. The agreement was also endorsed by both houses of the Jordanian Parliament. However, the prisoners have complained that despite signing the bilateral agreement for prisoner swap, nothing has been done yet to implement it. Embassy personnel routinely visit the prisoners to monitor their health and wellbeing, Al-Hajri said. He had said in previous statement that many Saudis, especially from the border areas, visit Jordan for treatment, but end up not paying medical bills. He said the embassy had paid more than SR7 million in citizens' outstanding medical bills.
