JEDDAH: Saudi women are eager to work in the country’s passport offices, as unprecedented numbers applied for jobs advertised by the General Directorate of Passports (GDP).
On Jan. 18, the directorate announced via Twitter that it was looking for female Saudi nationals to fill 140 jobs at airport passport offices and land borders.
Just a week after the application process began, amazed GDP officials learned that 107,000 Saudi women had applied and that the directorate’s website had received more than 600,000 hits.
Officials closed the registration for the jobs to prevent numbers of applications mounting further.
The directorate announced it has begun processing applications to fill vacancies for the rank of private, to be filled by Saudi women who are high school graduates or holders of an equivalent diploma.
Official GDP spokesman, Lt. Col. Talal Al-Shalhoub, told Arab News that it will be possible to process the applications electronically. He said that the directorate will sift applications through an automatic coding system, designed to ensure that all applications meet the criteria.
Successful applicants will need to be physically fit, aged between 25 and 35, and not married to a non-Saudi national. Women who grew up outside the Kingdom while their fathers served overseas are exempt from the Saudi nationals condition.
Approved candidates will have to successfully attend a 30-day training course before they will be allowed to begin their official duties.
Over 100,000 Saudi women apply for 140 passport control jobs
Over 100,000 Saudi women apply for 140 passport control jobs
Saudi inventor wins two gold medals at Mideast International Invention Fair
- Khudry was recognized for inventing a device designed to filter materials and recycle used liquids
- The innovation aims to improve efficiency in liquid purification and reuse
RIYADH: Saudi inventor Duaa Nizar Khudry won two gold medals at the 16th International Invention Fair in the Middle East (IIFME), held in Kuwait from February 8 to 11, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Khudry was recognized for inventing a device designed to filter materials and recycle used liquids, an innovation aimed at improving efficiency in liquid purification and reuse. The technology has potential applications in environmental protection, industrial processing, and water conservation, particularly in regions where sustainable resource management is critical.
A member of the Mawhiba Alumni Program, Khudry represented Saudi Arabia with the support and nomination of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), which was participating in the fair for the third time.
She received her first gold medal from the fair’s organizers and was also awarded the IFIA Best Invention Award by the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations, recognizing her innovation as one of the most outstanding entries in the exhibition.
The IIFME, organized annually by the Kuwait Science Club since its launch in 2007, is regarded as one of the region’s largest specialized invention exhibitions and a major platform for inventors to present their work to international audiences.
As a student, Khudry won first place nationwide at the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity (Ibdaa) in 2013 for the same recycling device, competing against tens of thousands of students across the Kingdom. She later obtained an official patent for the invention in 2024, strengthening its scientific and commercial potential.
She studied chemistry and is currently pursuing graduate studies in materials science and engineering under the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program. Her research focuses on environmental sustainability, advanced materials, and liquid purification technologies.
