Social media users flooded Twitter with complaints about delays at the Abu Samra land crossing between Qatar and Saudi Arabia over the last few days.

Authorities have appeared to resolve congestion issues at the Qatar-Saudi Arabia Abu Samra land crossing following complaints on social media over long waiting hours.

Complaints over queues at the crossing emerged on Wednesday amid an influx of visitors from Saudi Arabia as the neighbouring kingdom celebrated its “Founding Day” with a four-day national holiday.

It also comes as Qatar hosts major events, including the AFC Champions League quarter and semi finals, Doha Watches and Jewellery Exhibition 2023, Teeb Al Hazm exhibition and a showpiece F1 event at Lusail Boulevard.

While authorities did not publicly address complaints, sources familiar with the matter told Doha News steps were taken to resolve the issue.

On Thursday morning, videos shared by social media users showed what appeared to be a smooth travel experience at Abu Samra with no complaints about congestion.

“Abu Samra crossing at 9:30 am and the road is clear,” one social media user said.

Another said,”Entry through Abu Samra is very fast today and did not take half an hour …I advise those coming to customs to secure the vehicle online to avoid crowding.”

The latest tweets came after social media users flooded Twitter with complaints about delays.

Videos and images shared online on Wednesday showed long lines at the border with some posting images from previous visits to highlight the difference in congestion.

According to tweets, some were left waiting for up to five hours before entering into Qatar. One traveller said they reached the crossing at around 5pm and entered at 10pm.

“Everyone complains about the crowded Abu Samra crossing! The organisation and employees are supposed to know the official holiday season in neighbouring countries and increase the number of employees during these times,” one social media user said.

Another echoed the same concern, saying: “We travel through all the land borders, there is no traffic except with us, if the whole trip is three or four hours, we must bear in mind that we will sit on the Abu Samra border at least two hours, if there is no traffic.”

Long processing

Some also cited long processing times at passport control, claiming it could take more than 30 minutes in some cases.

“The delay is at the passport department in exit and entry. I traveled two weeks ago and got out of Abu Samra after about 45 minutes. For your information, I had only three cars in front of me, since I entered the Salwa and Al-Batha centre,” a person said in a tweet.

Similar complaints were shared by another traveller who pointed to the computer system as the main reason behind the processing delay.

Qatari social media users have urged authorities to respond to the complaints and place more staff to ensure a better travelling experience for visitors.

“The Abu Samra border represents us as a country and as a people. This delay is unacceptable,” prominent Qatari social media user Hamad Al Muhannadi said.

Citizens of neighbouring countries have also echoed such calls for action.

“​​We hope to improve the entry experience and duration of processing. Qatar has a very successful experience in managing crowds and congestion,” Abdulmohsen AlMulhem, Riyadh chamber member, said.

Previous incidents

Last year, complaints emerged over what was described as “chaos” at the border, with cars lining up for hours awaiting entry into Qatar.

Similarly, complaints emerged during the 2022 FIFA World Cup with fans travelling to attend matches experiencing delays.

Despite this, the land crossing between the two GCC states managed to welcome hundreds of thousands of incoming and outgoing travellers during the event.

At the time, Abu Samra crossing increased its capacity from nine to 24 vehicle service routes. It also expanded the Customs building’s capacity from 28 to 36 vehicles.

Traffic via the border has also increased massively since Saudi Arabia lifted its three-year air, land and sea embargo on Qatar in 2021, joining the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in signing the Al-Ula Declaration to end the dispute.

More than 900 cars crossed the Abu Samra border within the first three days of its reopening in 2021.

Beyond major events, complaints often emerge during peak traffic periods during national and religious holidays, including Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha.

During Eid Al Fitr last year, social media users complained of long waits at Abu Samra, with some saying they waited for up to four hours.

In 2021, visitors from GCC nations accounted for a total of 54% of all arrivals, per data previously released by Qatar’s Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).

A year-on-year increase of 869% and a monthly increase of 69.7% were also seen in the overall data.

The number of visitors from the GCC increased by 1,213.8% to reach 90,309 in May 2022 from 6,874 in the same month in 2021, when the Muslim world celebrated Eid Al Fitr.