This is my first trip to Saudi Arabia and my arrival last night was an interesting experience.
I was on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Dammam in a huge plane (Boeing 777-300ER) that was full.
Upon deplaning you have to walk down a very long (at least 1/2 mile) corridor from the gates to immigration.
People were walking VERY fast down this corridor all in a rush to get to immigration. Then some people started running. Then more people started running and it soon turned into a mad dash to immigration.
Not wanting to be left behind and having no idea what was going on, I started running too.
1.5 hours later I understood why.
This 300+ passenger plane arrived in Dammam at 11:15pm and there were probably 3 people working the immigration lines. For each person to clear immigration required 5 minutes. It was hands-down the slowest immigration line I have ever witnessed. I was probably #15 in line and it took me over an hour to pass through. My condolences to the people at the end of the line that was probably 60 people deep.
The immigration officers could not be less interested in hurrying things along. They take your time flipping through the pages in your passport, slowly moving through the computer program that guides you through the process. They also have these fingerprint scanners from the 1980's that require you to make the vulcan symbol with both hands (one at a time) and then scan your 2 thumbs separately - 3 total scans with a 1-minute duration for each scan.
Welcome to Saudi Arabia.
More takeaways: if you take a plane that also has a rear exit, never sit in the middle* of the plane.
Even more takeaways: www.seatguru.com for where the exits are.
*Especially if youre flying to Saudi Arabia