KSA Customs and Hard Drives
Jan 14th 2015, 7:30 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 4
KSA Customs and Hard Drives
Hi
I will be bringing a mini PC and Synology NAS drive with me next week on arrival at Jeddah. The NAS drive holds a lot of technical data and also films and music to keep me sane for the next year.
Am I likely to have any issues with KSA customs holding the PC or hard drive on arrival?
This would be pretty inconvenient as I am heading to Yanbu and don't want to have to trek back to reclaim anything held at the airport.
Thanks!
I will be bringing a mini PC and Synology NAS drive with me next week on arrival at Jeddah. The NAS drive holds a lot of technical data and also films and music to keep me sane for the next year.
Am I likely to have any issues with KSA customs holding the PC or hard drive on arrival?
This would be pretty inconvenient as I am heading to Yanbu and don't want to have to trek back to reclaim anything held at the airport.
Thanks!
Jan 14th 2015, 8:13 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Riyadh KSA
Posts: 32
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
I've been in and out of KSA hundreds of times with laptops, hard drive and more recently an 8TB nas.
I have never had any of these things checked, in fact, I have only had by bags opened twice, once on the causeway and once in Riyadh, both very brief searches
I have never had any of these things checked, in fact, I have only had by bags opened twice, once on the causeway and once in Riyadh, both very brief searches
Jan 15th 2015, 12:27 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2008
Location: Masbate Philippines
Posts: 1,056
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
As long as you are not silly enough to bring any porn in on these hard drives then you should not have any problems. As for my self I have also only been checked about 3 times in the 7 years or so.
Jan 15th 2015, 1:50 am
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2012
Location: Magic Kingdom
Posts: 947
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
For personal data, family pictures, work valuable data you do not want anyone intruding on, whilst all legal, truecrypt is simple enough. Make 4.5gig containers, label as popular family/kids films (ie. ToyStory.iso) and bung your data in them.
Jan 15th 2015, 5:38 am
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 361
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
Or you can keep your porn stash on cloud.
Jan 15th 2015, 6:55 am
#6
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 182
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
Never been searched at the airport here....my bacon sandwich this morning is a testament to that.
Jan 15th 2015, 9:17 am
#7
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2012
Location: Reem Island, Abu Dhabi
Posts: 109
Jan 15th 2015, 10:26 am
#8
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 182
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
of course ha ha
Jan 16th 2015, 2:17 pm
#9
On the look out
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Riyadh
Posts: 62
Re: KSA Customs and Hard Drives
I have been in and out of Riyadh for about a year and I put my bags through the Customs scanner like eveyone else. Bag always has a laptop,hard drive, USBs,. To date nobody has asked to look. As long as you have nothing inappropriate (porn etc etc) I dont think you have any worries even if they do check. Not sure what the JED situation is but the Riyadh immigration has improved 100% recently. I find it easier to go through Riyadh as a resident than Dubai these days....much quicker. I usually spend 30-60 minutes at DXB in the immigration queue but the last time in Riyadh ex BA flight I was in the taxi on the way home in less than 30 minutes after arrival . Staff were quite friendly also.
