The Communication and Information Technology Commission (CITC) of Saudi Arabia implements a new policy that would now require a foreigner to update or register their personal information if they want to continue enjoying cellphone services in the Kingdom.

The new rule means that all expatriates including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) should present their iqama or residence permit to ensure that their (Subscribers Identity Module) SIM services would not be cut or disconnected. Likewise, an expatriate who fail to present a valid iqama would not able to purchase new SIM cards charge SIM, recharge, or transfer balances.

To give ample time to the mobile users to comply, telecommunication companies in Saudi announced the new regulation last July. They also set a deadline for the registration of their personal info which ended last week.

A group pushing for OFW rights, the Migrante-Middle East respects the new policy but is worried that it would negatively affect  thousands of undocumented Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.

The regional coordinator of the OFW group, John Leonard Monterona said, “The expired Iqama or identification card of an undocumented worker cannot be registered to get a new SIM card in KSA.”

“This is an internal policy of the host government that we fully respect and abide, but it is a common knowledge that there are thousands of undocumented migrants, including OFWs, in Saudi Arabia.” Monterona added.

He further explained, “Thousands of undocumented Filipino workers will be affected by this new regulation, which requires customers to input their national identification number (Iqama) immediately after entering their prepaid card number to charge SIM cards, recharge, or transfer balances,” he said.

Monterona informed that of the estimated 10 million foreign workers, in Saudi Arabia, about 4% are not legally documented. The migrant workers are mostly composed of Indians, Pakistanis, Egyptians and Filipinos.

The Migrante Middle East extends help to undocumented OFWs who will now find it hard to contact their families in the Philippines via cellphones.

Monterona said, “Some of the distressed and undocumented OFWs we are helping also asked us for credit load transfer so that they can call us or their families during Christmas and New Year.”