The one-post frontier crossing at King Fahad Causeway (KFC) will be implemented within four months, an official source at the Saudi General Directorate of Passports said.
The plan includes the introduction of a new entry-exit mechanism for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but not for nationals holding other passports, Saudi-based "Al Eqtisadia" newspaper said.
The source said that GCC citizens departing from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain will have to stop at the Saudi passports and customs only, without going through Bahraini posts, while drivers from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia would have to stop at the Bahraini passports and customs, but not the Saudi posts.
The source added that the new procedures would curb congestion on the causeway and would facilitate traffic flow. The experimental period for the new measures will last a maximum of seven days, the source said.
Commenting on possible cases of any unforeseen passport cabin disruptions in either side, the source said that the Immigration and Passports authorities would take several precautionary measures, including direct operation of the Saudi cabins in case of Bahraini cabins failure.
He added that a specific number of lanes would be allocated to GCC citizens and the rest would be used by non-GCC citizens.
The source said that the project's implementation necessitated the formation of committees from the Saudi and Bahrain interior ministries and that the two kingdoms reached an agreement to facilitate the entry and exit of their citizens. He said that the agreement, although reached by the two countries, applies to all GCC citizens.
King Fahad Causeway was inaugurated in 1986 and it has since seen a steady spectacular increase in the number of people and vehicles using it.
Officials said that it was used by around 100,000 people on the third day of Eid Al Adha.