Staff Reporter :
Due to the complexity of hotel booking, many Saudi Arabian expatriates are cancelling their journeys every day. Although many people purchased tickets for the second time, they are not sure about the journey.
Hundreds of Saudi expatriates were seen waiting outside Saudia Airlines’ Dhaka office in the capital’s Karwan Bazar on Saturday morning.
The expatriates complained that they were suffering due to the lack of clear information from Saudi Airlines.
Some have also complained of taking extra money from the local office in Karwan Bazar for hotel bookings.
As result, expatriates are facing huge sufferings due to new restrictions imposed by the Saudi Arabian government to prevent the coronavirus infection.
Many have fallen in troubles due to lack of cooperation in booking hotels for seven-day quarantine at their own expense after arriving in the country.
Many passengers missed their flights as they could not book hotels on Friday. Even many of the certificates of Coronavirus test might expire.
Meanwhile, the airlines’ flight schedules have become chaotic after the new conditions were imposed. Biman Bangladesh Airlines has canceled the flight till May 24 due to complications.
The Saudi government has recently imposed a number of conditions on foreign travellers to Saudi Arabia.
According to sources, it is compulsory for all foreign nationals traveling to the country to have Covid Medical Insurance. This insurance will cover the cost of 14-day in institutional quarantine and hospital and clinic. In addition, the concerned airlines have to make arrangements to stay in the institutional quarantine.
Airlines are also required to arrange PCR tests on the first and seventh days of travel for individuals wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has also demanded that the airline submit a list of passengers to the country’s authorities four days before departure. The new condition has been in effect since Thursday.
Under these conditions, the cost has been increased for Saudi-bound passengers.
In this circumstance, one passenger expressed annoyance saying that we have become victim due to the corona epidemic. We hardly managed our cost for going Saudi Arabia borrowing money from relatives and neighbours. But if we face extra costs we will have nothing to do.
Earlier on Thursday, the expatriate workers crowded the office of Saudi Arabia Airlines in Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Karwan Bazar areas to fulfil the conditions.
Many of those who bought tickets could not fly to the country on Thursday because they could not meet the conditions. Even on Friday afternoon, most of the passengers for the Saudi Airlines flight to Jeddah did not complete hotel bookings. Passengers are not getting a solution even after going to the office of Saudi Airlines.
