Objection to Saher Traffic Violation: How to file objection? Cancelling Traffic Fine

One peaceful day in Riyadh, you are driving or relaxing at home or having a good times with family or friends, then suddenly you receive text message from Saher, the first message was in Arabic and showing figures of numbers and at the bottom is a currency of SAR. If you receive this kind of message you will get nervous and become restless untill you’ll know whats the meaning of that Arabic text messages. You’ll know this meaning when the second text message comes in your phone which is in English text, telling that Traffic Violation with ticket number and fine amount. Now your peaceful day will be ruined, makes you troubled, and you keep thinking why you have this kind of traffic violation if you believe that you didn’t made it and there was a mistake from Saher side.

Things to do:

1. Check online thru MOI your details and violation (www.moi.gov.sa). Go to e-services\public query traffic violation\ – enter your iqama, ticket number & verification code(graffiti characters). After seeing your details of violation and the maps or location, you can confirm if this violation done by you or not, if you confirm that it was a mistake, then file now the objection.
2. Filing objection online: this option is not working because I try it several times and their site is down, this option is available at the bottom of Public Query traffic violation after displaying of Violation details. You can still try this but  recommend try to go directly to Traffic Police Office to file your complain.
3. Filing objection in Traffic Department Office.
   1. Proceed to Nearest Traffic Police Station (try Nasseriyah Traffic Police), look for the Building No.3, Dispute Section to file your complain. The desk personel will give you the Objection form to be fill with Arabic and you will receive the print out of your violation details after you submit the form you filled up. The section manager will do some intial check on your complain and decide for your complain, but usually he will tell you to proceed to the next building (Building No.4) IT Section for further investigation.
   2. Investigation at IT Section or the Computer building. Well if the Dispute manager requires further investigation since the violation incident was done automatically by Saher Camera and he cannot decide, you’ll have to proceed to IT section. Inside the IT section (Building No.4), show the complain form you fill-up and the print of your violation, they will make a replay of event by playing the recorded CCTV footage of the incident. The type of car, plate number, time and even the driver’s face can be seen in the cctv film and it will shows the actual incident captured by Saher camera.
4. Result of Objection. If you are found guilty on the traffic violation as describes, you’ll have to pay the fine after the confirmation or within one month to avoid penalty. But if the investigation found that you are innocent, then the violation will be cancelled and it will take effect after one week of filing. You can verify it by calling 989 or checking thru MOI website after one week.

Hope this will helps you how to deal this kind of trouble in Saher Cameras.

Safe driving….

Missing or Stolen Car Plate in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: How to Request a New Plate

Well living in Riyadh for Expatriates are not always in a smooth and easy, sometimes it happens to us that bad people are giving us trouble againts our property specially our car. It happens to me one morning when I was about to go for work my car plate was missing on the rear side. I don’t panic, the first thing I do is check the nearest Baladiyah garbage trash bin and made some search in the corner nearby until I came to the point of giving-up. And I declare it was stolen by somebody.

Okay, here we go. I asked my Saudi coleauge and gathers some information what to do and I’m  gonna share it to you so you would avoid some uneccesary process and stick to the right one.

Procedure to Request Car Plate for Lost or Stolen:

There is actually 2 process: 1.) Aquiring Police Report in Police Station in the area of incident & 2.) Requesting new Plate in Traffic Police Office

Let me share first what I do in the first place because I have no idea that time and I don’t want this to happens to any of you. My Saudi Coleague told me was an incomplete information, he told me to go straight to Traffic Police Office after Calling 999 Police hotline to report the missing plate, (this procedure is to alert the Police and encode in their system and alerting if any crime was done involving the stolen car plate). But going straight to Traffic Police is a waste of time because you have to get Police report first from the area of incident before going to Traffic Police to request a new plate (in my case I went to Nasseriyah Traffic Dept.). The incident happens in Takhassusi near SACO store so I went to Umal Hammam Police station to get the Police report but it was wrong, I should asked first the Police in Naseriyah on what Station I should go because Umal Hammam Police refuse to issue the Report since Takhassusi in not under their area of responsibility but in Sulemania Police. So, I waste time going to Umal Hammam Police and to Nasseriyah which is not the first place to go.Then I went to Sulemania Police, the correct one but I’ve arrive there at 1:30pm which is already late for issuing Police reports that time, as per the Officer I spoke with, their working time is 8am-1pm only, they told me “come back bukrah subaah”. Wasting time in the wrong Police station is a waste of 1 day of getting the report, I have no choice but to come back in the next morning.

Now, let’s start with the procedure:

1. Aquiring Police Report for Stolen Car Plate (Sulemania Police Station)
   • Proceed to the respective Police Station to which the incident happens and present the following:
     • Istimara / Car registration – original & photo copy
     • Driving Licenese – original & photo copy
     • Iqama – original & photo copy
     • Picture of your car – front & back showing missing plate (this is better instead of the Police will take the photo, sometimes you have to wait because the camera is not available, so better you prepare your own picture).
     • Bring maps of your house or the place showing incident happens (option only, but it is better you bring this so that they will not asked more for the location).
   • After submitting all this papers, wait for the copy of Police Report, 1-copy for you with stamped and signature of Captain and 1-copy will be for their record and encoding.
2. Requesting for a New Plate in Traffic Police Department (Nasseriyah Traffic Police Station)
   • Proceed to Traffic Police Compound in Nasseriyah Building no.6 at the back of the compound
     • Submit Police report you aquire from Sulemania Police together with the photo copy of Car registration (istimara).
     • They will give you the Request form, fill this up in Arabic and pay thru ATM or Saddad of SR100 for one plate & SR200 for 2 plate. In my case I asked the fixer outside to do it for me and I pay him SR30 for his service.
     • Submit the form to Police desk and he will encode it and gives you the lower half of the paper as a claim slip for your new Plate. Usually it takes 3-5 days of process but in my case I came back after 1 week and I received my new car plate.

Now, you have your new car plate and be carefull in fixing it, make sure you use a bolt with nuts or a rivet or some hex keys to screw it back to prevent from stealing again.

Hope this will helps you in solving your problem if someone stole your car plate. Good luck and take care.

How to Renew Driving License in Saudi Arabia for Expat with New Iqama

For an Expat in Saudi Arabia that went on exit and return back with a new visa and a new Iqama but with a valid or has a previous License card, you have to renew it for you to able to drive again in the Kingdom and you have to go the Dallah Licensing Center not in the Moroor or Traffic Police Office since you came in new Iqama and it is considered as a new Registration not a Renewal but you don’t have to do the crazy driving test like you do in your first time acquiring driving ID.

Okay then, lets start the process in a very simple instruction as follows:

1. Prepare the requirements and fill-up the application form.
2. Do the Medical Test.
3. Present the requirements including payment receipt to the Traffic Police.
4. Proceed to Releasing Office and wait for your call.

As you see its only a few steps but I know its not clear for you how it is to be done that’s why I have to make it in much details for you to able to follow  the procedure once you are there  in Dallah Centers especially for those who came back in Saudi Arabia and don’t know what to do.

In My own experience, I came back in Riyadh and It’s a necessity for me to have a driving license that’s why after I receive my new Iqama my next step to do is Aquiring a Driving License. For Expat like me who came in New visa & Iqama I have to go Dallah Takhassusi, I’ve try it in Malaz Traffic Police office but they don’t renew my ID, the Saudi Police told me that they only renew for old ID card not for new Iqama. Lets start now the process.

1. Preparing the requirements and Fill-up the application forms:
   1. Required documents are:
      1. Old Driving License card & photo copy
      2. Iqama & photocopy
      3. 2 pcs passport size picture
      4. Company letter or employment certificate (optional only but better if you have it)
      5. Renewal form (Arabic form)
   2. Fill-up the application form which is available in Dallah or in MOI website. It is better if you downloaded it and fill this up by your Arabic office-mate person than getting it from Dallah because there are many fixers there asking for 20-30 Riyals for their service.
2. Present the requirements, do the medical test and pay the fee.
   1. Go to Hall No.1 or submission and verification office in Dallah compound, look for the Hall and show your old driving ID and the rest of your documents to the reception to verify if your documents are complete. The Checker will then requires you for an eye test. Go and proceed to the next step.
   2. Going for Eye Test (or Medical Test), you may proceed to any Clinic accredited by Efada, there are clinics outside Dallah but if you wish to do the eye test in your area before going there you can found the list of accredited hospitals/Clinic in MOI website (https://www.moi.gov.sa). After completion of Medical Test, the result will be automatically link to the MOI system and after 5 minutes you will received the text message from Efada that your medical result is uploaded to the Absher or MOI system, you can now go back to the Dallah office and wait for your application approval.
   3. After checking of your documents and completing the medical test and received approval, you can now proceed to Hall No. 2 or Releasing Office, but before you enter the Hall make sure you have made the payment for Driving License on ATM or thru Saddad. It is better than paying on the fixers in Dallah because they will charge you for 30-50 Riyals for the transactions. below is the payment details:
      1. 2 years = 80SR
      2. 5 years = 200SR
      3. 10 years = 400SR
3. Releasing Office (HALL no. 2)
   1. After payment, Just proceed inside Hall no.2 or releasing office. Go to window-1 to show your documents, they will collect your old ID and application documents and wait for your call.
   2. Inside the Hall there are many seats there and many for waiting the card print of your new Driving License. I prefer that you sit in front because the person will distibute it by calling your name and most Saudi’s may pronounce name differently so be attentive on this.

After 30 minutes of waiting you have your new Driving License and ready to use it.

The total time spent is 1-2 hours, you can now drive a car freely. Happy Driving!