Embassy on Wheels serves 437 Filipinos in Saudi city

Officials from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh visited the northwestern Saudi city of Hail on July 25-26 as part of the Embassy on Wheels (EOW) consular outreach program.

Hail, which is one of the Kingdom’s key agricultural regions, hosts a 800-strong Filipino community.

The historically significant region is on the camel caravan route used by pilgrims during the Haj season.

The embassy outreach mission extended a total of 437 consular services to the Filipino workers in Hail and adjacent areas.

The six-member embassy team, led by Consul Mary Jennifer D. Dingal, processed 402 passport renewals, five passport extensions, 14 notarials and seven reports of birth. The team also released nine new e-passports.

This was the 23rd Embassy on Wheels program organized by the mission this year.

Consul Dingal thanked the Filipino community volunteers, headed by Ameera L. Domingo of the Kapisanan ng mg Manggagawang Pilipino, for the support and assistance they extended to the team.

She also emphasized that passport holders have the primary responsibility to ensure that their passports remain valid and that they may apply for a new passport a year before its expiry.

She also underscored the importance of obtaining an appointment through the embassy’s official website for the renewal of passports at least two months before the intended appointment.

As part of the embassy’s program to improve customer service, the outreach mission also distributed client feedback forms to 400 people.

The next consular outreach program will be held in al-Khobar on August 8-9.