Phl Embassy in Riyadh processed record 72,028 passports last year

MANILA, Philippines - A record-breaking 72,028 passports were issued by the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2013, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

The DFA said in a statement that the Embassy there last year processed 1,522 new passports for newly born infants; 64,298 renewals and 6,208 replacement passports for lost passports.

Of the 6,208 replacement passports, around 6,000 were issued during the correction period, particularly in May and June.

Last year's number was 33.6 percent higher than the 53,913 passports processed by the Embassy in 2012.

It was also the highest number of processed passports in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh since 2007, when 31,990 passports were issued.

The DFA said the Embassy also conducted 37 consular outreach missions in 2013, compared to 24 in 2012 and 19 in 2011. 

During these missions, the Embassy team went to Al-Khobar, Hafr Al-Batin, Al-Khafji, Arar, Buraidah, Hofuf, Jubail, Ras Tanura, Sakaka, and Hail. 

The Embassy also conducted outreach missions in Sana’a, Yemen and at the second Industrial City in Riyadh; and a ten-day outreach in Al-Khobar, which served 1,440 passport applicants.

It also extended the validity of 6,383 passports for emergency situations and they were required to also apply for an e-Passport at the same time. 

The Embassy has consular jurisdiction over the regions of Riyadh, Eastern Region, Qassim, Hail, Northern Borders, and Al-Jouf. 

The rest of the regions in the Kingdom are under the consular jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah.