The Saudi Embassy in Egypt called on Monday its citizens to respect residency regulations by registering their residency should they have been living in the country for over six months.
It said Saudis must head to the General Administration of Passports, Immigration and Nationality to obtain a residency card by the end of June at the latest.
In a statement, the embassy stressed the “need to hold a residency card as proof of identity and to cooperate with Egyptian authorities when asked to present it.”
Egypt estimates that there are around 9 million refugees and foreign expatriates living in the country.
Months ago, the Egyptian government had called on all resident foreigners to obtain a smart residency card by June 30.
Deputy head of the Egyptian council for foreign affairs Salah Halima explained that the Saudi statement was a “reminder to Saudi nationals who may not have been following up on Egyptian government decisions to register their residency” to receive the smart card.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he added that the statement “reflects the embassy’s keenness on ensuring that its citizens respect Egyptian laws.”
Obtaining the card will allow the holders to benefit from services provided by the card. It will also help speed up procedures in cases of any emergency, he went on to say.
The development took place days after Saudi national Hattan Shatta went missing in Egypt, stirring public debate.
Egyptian authorities later announced that he had been found dead, ruling our foul play and adding that he had died from health reasons.
The Saudi embassy had expressed its gratitude to Egyptian authorities for their efforts in uncovering the cause of his death.
