Riyadh, Jun 8 (Arab News): An online service to issue and renew iqamas (residence permits) has been launched, SPA reported yesterday.

It is available on the portal of the General Directorate of Passports for Electronic Services and the site is called Abshir. Interior Minister Prince Muhammad bin Naif inaugurated the service.

“The new service is a major step taken by the Passport Department to offer better online services to citizens and expatriates so that they need not queue up at passport offices,” Director General of Passports Lt. Gen. Salem Al-Bulaihed said in a statement to the SPA.

“The e-service enables an employer to receive the iqama of his workers quickly. The service will also enable him to ensure the validity of iqamas of workers at any time,” Col. Khaled Al-Saikhan, director of the information technology administration, said.

“The service will enable the employer to visit the passport offices to receive the iqamas directly,” he added.

Spokesman of the Passport Directorate Col. Badr Al-Malik said the passport department is trying its best with this step to achieve its goal to minimize visitors to its offices.

Anyone who needs the service of Abshir only needs to register on its site (www.epassport.gov. sa) and activate the registration by confirming their ID through the method given for that.