Absher Travel Service via Salwa Border Crossing: Advantages and Registration Method for Traveling to Qatar
In a move aimed at enhancing digital transformation and facilitating land travel between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Absher e-platform announced the availability of the Absher Travel service for travelers crossing the Salwa border crossing. This service represents a significant leap forward in the land travel experience, saving time and effort for citizens and residents wishing to visit Qatar.
The context of digital transformation and the importance of the Salwa border crossing
The Salwa border crossing is the only land route connecting Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and it experiences heavy traffic, especially during holidays and major events. The launch of this service aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to automate government services and improve operational efficiency at border crossings. The service aims to reduce human and traffic congestion at the crossing and ensure smooth traffic flow by pre-verifying the eligibility of travelers and vehicles before they reach the border.
Key advantages of the "Absher Travel" service
The platform explained via its official account that the new service offers travelers a range of benefits that ensure a smooth journey, the most important of which are:
- Pre-registration: The ability to enter vehicle and passenger data before moving, reducing waiting time.
- Dedicated lane: Providing dedicated lanes at the port for service users to ensure speedy procedures.
- Automated verification: Electronically confirming the travel eligibility of all passengers and the driver before arrival.
Answers to travelers' inquiries
In its commitment to clarifying all aspects of the service, "Absher" provided comprehensive answers to the most frequently asked questions:
- Target audience: The service is available to both citizens and residents of the Kingdom.
- Bridge tolls and insurance: Travelers can optionally pay the King Fahd Causeway tolls (in the event of future connection or analogy to similar services) and insurance fees via the app in advance, or postpone payment upon arrival at the port, which provides greater flexibility in the financial planning of the trip.
- Driving authority: The service is for the vehicle owner or the person officially authorized to drive it, and cannot be used without a valid authorization.
- Travel requirement: The system requires that the originator of the travel request (account holder) be an actual traveler on the trip with the registered companions.
Verification procedures and required documents
The platform emphasized the necessity of carrying the original travel documents (passport or national ID) selected during the application process, to be presented to passport control officers upon arrival. It also highlighted the importance of "location verification" via the "Nafath" application upon reaching the port area. Should verification via the application fail for any technical reason, biometric verification (fingerprinting) will be conducted traditionally by a passport control officer to ensure the security and safety of travel procedures.
The “Absher” platform continues to expand its services to include all aspects of life, enhancing the quality of life and facilitating government procedures for millions of beneficiaries without the need to visit traditional offices.
