KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Interior official has called upon holidaymakers travelling overland during their vacations to ensure that their vehicles comply with the relevant safety and security guidelines before starting their journey in order to enjoy their trip whilst ensuring their and their family members' well being.

Lieutenant General Mohammad Idris Al-Dousari, the Director General of the ministry's Land Border Crossings Department, said that personnel at all Kuwait's border crossing are fully prepared for the busy summer holiday period and ready to receive all travelers, including those accompanied by domestic staff, so long as they have the necessary up-to-date documents, including passports and visas, and have no outstanding travel bans against them.

All travelers must ensure before departure that their vehicles are in good condition and meet the relevant safety requirements, said the official. He added that holidaymakers should be careful to avoid overloading their vehicles and check that their vehicle documents are valid, as well as ensuring that they are equipped with fire extinguishers and sufficient food and water for the journey, as well as making any other necessary preparations beforehand.

Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari stressed that every traveler should check all the members of their party's passports whilst planning their holiday to ensure that they are valid and update any which are not. Those GCC citizens wishing to travel from Kuwait to other GCC states using their civil ID must ensure that their civil ID card and those of family members are of the most up-to-date 'smart card' variety, adding that travelers should be consistent in using the same proof of identity, whether passport or civil ID card, on leaving the country. In the event of passports or civil ID cards being lost or stolen, holders should immediately report this to the concerned authorities, he added.

Concerning expatriates travelling overland, the senior MoI official said that the most important point for them to remember is, again, to ensure the validity of their and their family members' passports and to check to make sure that the photographs used in the passports are valid and all young children in the party are added to their parents' passports or have their own passports with valid residency visas.

Expatriate travelers must also make sure that they have valid visas, where required, for the countries which they are visiting, continued Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari, adding that the passports and visas of any servants accompanying them on their trip should also be checked beforehand to ensure that they are valid too.

The official warned that failure to comply with any of the above requirements would result in delays and costly rescheduling of travel arrangements, with travelers having to return home to complete all the necessary formalities before setting out again. Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari also urged drivers to stay within the speed limit and to take regular rests at the roadside in order to avoid becoming tired and distracted, which all too often leads to major and even fatal accidents.

The senior interior ministry official also urged travelers to ensure that the needs of any children in their traveling parties are properly considered and taken care of. He urged drivers to be alert whilst driving and avoid taking any medication which could result in drowsiness, as well as instructing them to carry separate copies of all their and their family members' important documents, including passports and civil ID cards, in case of the originals being stolen or mislaid.

Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari said that all travelers who experience problems whilst abroad should refer to their own nation's embassy in the country they are in.
The senior official concluded by advising travelers to abide by the rules and regulations in their destination country, adding that the MoI operations room is open around the clock and is ready to receive all reports and enquiries on relevant issues. The operations room can be contacted on: 2497 3413/16/17/18 or 19. - Kuwait Times