JEDDAH – Director General of Passports Maj. Gen. Suleiman Al-Yahya has banned the staff from using mobile phones during office hours. Al-Yahya, who took over as the chief of the General Directorate of Passports last week, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette on Wednesday that the performance of Passports Department employees will be monitored through surveillance cameras. He also said that the working hours of the Passports Department will be extended up to 5.30 p.m. for employees who deal directly with citizens and expatriates so as to clear the transactions that were submitted during the grace period. The passport offices will have more employees to deal with huge crowds of visitors, he said, and reiterated that passport offices seek to ensure that expatriates' rights are maintained so they can visit hospitals, government bodies, courts and other government departments.
