For those of you in Saudi Arabia currently with an Iqama ( Residency Permit) there are a few factors to bear in mind when leaving the country for the last time. This is known as Final Exit. Not to be confused when simply going on vacation to your home country  and returning to Saudi for example, which is known as an Exit / Re-Entry Visa.

The language is pretty self explanatory. An Exit / Re-Entry visa allows you to leave KSA and return within a pre defined time period. A Final Exit means you are leaving and will not be allowed back into the country unless you are issued with a new visa.

The complications arise when you are a car owner. The car must be transferred to another person ( sold or scrapped ) or it must be exported BEFORE you are issued with a Final Exit.

This then means that in order to drive the car home, I have to first export it out of the country. Once it is not registered to my name, only then I am allowed to be issued with a Final Exit.

The solution is to:

1 – Obtain an Exit / Re-Entry visa.

2 – Obtain the Export Plates for the car, as described by the page explaining that particular process.

3- Leave Saudi with the car and drive to Jordan. Upon exiting Saudi, the car will be declared as exported and de-registered from my name. The plan is to then leave the car in Jordan for a few days

4 – We then fly back to Saudi, and once back, process the Final Exit.

5- We then take a return flight to Jordan and collect the car and travel onwards.

I have known people to leave Saudi on an Exit/Re-Entry visa, to never return. I would advise against this, as it could cause future problems should you ever return to Saudi for whatever reason. It will cause your sponsor to declare your non return and may cause problems for them also.

Although doing it this way – driving the car to Jordan and then returning by air to Saudi – is a little long winded, this is my preferred option is it a ‘clean exit’ with all processes completed duly.