UAE citizens planning to travel to Saudi Arabia or passing via the kingdom on way to other GCC states will have to use their passports instead of ID cards, says a report.

Director of Ministry's Consular Affairs Sultan Al Qurtasi was quoted by WAM as saying that the decision was in reaction to a guideline issued by Saudi Arabia that banned UAE ID cards.

''Out of its keenness to facilitate easy movement of UAE citizens, the Ministry urges those who would like to travel to Saudi Arabia or pass through its lands to use their passports,” Al Qurtasi said, according to the report.

UAE embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah have been instructed to issue documents to those Emiratis who were already in Saudi Arabia but didn't have their passports to facilitate their return to the UAE, said the report.

Saudi travel ban over UAE ID card dispute