There once was a time—pre-9/11—when a Saudi passport served pretty much as a carte blanche. Saudis represented little risk of overstaying visas, they generally had money to spend, what problems they got into could be easily enough handled by the local police. Now, Saudis come in for enhanced security scrutiny in many countries, but then, so do most other Arabs. The other condition still pertain, though, and make a Saudi passport a good thing to have, so good that thieves still hunt them down and con men try to purchase them from unwary Saudis. Sadly, many young Saudis (male, naturally, as they’re the ones who travel on their own) find the cash too attractive. After a rash of ‘lost’ passports, the government started getting tough on those careless enough to lose their passports. It would often refuse to replace them, giving only one-time-use passports to allow the traveler to return home.

Arab News reports that the Saudi Passport Department is reminding travelers of the value of their passports and the need to protect them. While the article doesn’t give any examples of ‘pawning’ the documents, it would appear that the problem of getting cash for their temporary loss is still an issue. Saudi passports continue to be very useful to con artists who play on the stereotype of ‘rich Saudi’. It gets their feet in doors that would otherwise be closed to them. In many countries, Saudis are welcomed as potential spenders, though in others the linkage, even if only psychological, between the country and terrorism devalue their use.

Saudis warned against pawning passports
Arab News

RIYADH: The Passport Department has launched an awareness campaign — entitled Your Passport Is Your Identity, Its Protection Is Your Responsibility — calling on Saudi citizens to look after their passports while abroad.

The campaign has been launched to inform Saudis to keep away from visiting dangerous locations when abroad and to never pawn their passports. The campaign began at the start of the school vacation when thousands of Saudis head abroad to enjoy summer holidays, Al-Watan newspaper reported.

Adel Al-Amri, a Saudi traveling out of King Abdulaziz International Airport, said he knows the importance of registering at the Saudi Embassy while traveling in a foreign country. “I know that Saudi passports are increasingly being targeted by thieves abroad. People shouldn’t trust hotel safes; there is no safe place for passports,” he added.
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