Barkati, a Saudi woman, was stunned to learn that her passport would not be issued unless she paid a fine for not renewing her driver's license. Hania's husband expressed great surprise over the alleged violation - because women are not allowed to drive in the Kingdom. He said he burst into laughter when a Passport Department officer in Jeddah told him about it. He was perplexed by the seriousness of the officer who asked him to pay the fine immediately and thought he was joking. The officer in charge told him to pay the fine, so the passport application could proceed, and appeal the decision. When Al-Barkati received a copy of the violation slip, she discovered that it was registered nine years ago in Rabigh, a city she has never visited, and that it has doubled since then, to SR600, because it was not paid.
