Updated · Saudi Arabia Taxi Services
Lost an item in a taxi in Saudi Arabia? Act quickly
Realising you have left a lost item in a taxi in Saudi Arabia is stressful, especially in the middle of a trip. A phone, a passport pouch or a bag of gifts can slip out of sight on a seat or in a door pocket. The most useful thing you can do is act straight away. The driver may have another booking soon after yours, and an item is easier to trace while the ride is fresh in everyone's mind.
This post explains what to do after a ride with us, what to do after an app ride or an airport taxi, and a few simple habits that make things harder to lose in the first place.
What should you do first if you booked with us?
Message us on WhatsApp. If you can, use the same chat you booked in, because your booking details are already there. Our Makkah and Madinah offices are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so message at any hour.
- Send a message to +966 57 951 9804 on WhatsApp, or call the same number.
- Give the date and time of the ride, the pickup and drop-off points, and the driver's name or plate number if you have them.
- Describe the item: what it is, its colour and size, and where in the car you think you left it, for example the back seat, the boot or a door pocket.
- Tell us where you are staying and the best number to reach you, in case your own phone is the thing you lost.
- Keep your phone switched on and check WhatsApp, so you see our reply quickly.
What happens after you message us?
Because every SATS ride is booked in advance, we already know which driver and which car carried you. That is the main advantage of a pre-booked ride when something goes missing: there is no need to trace an unknown car. We contact the driver, ask him to check the vehicle and tell you what he finds.
If the item is in the car, we agree with you how to get it back to you, for example at your hotel. If returning it needs a separate drive, we tell you about any cost before anything is arranged, so you can decide.
We cannot promise that an item will be found. It may not be in the car at all: things are also left at airports, hotel lobbies and rest stops. The sooner you tell us, the better the chance.
Lost something valuable? Report it to the police too
If you have lost a passport, money, jewellery, a phone or other valuables, report it to the police as well as messaging us. Your travel insurer may also ask for a police report before it pays a claim, so check your policy.
If your passport is missing, contact your embassy or consulate about a replacement travel document. Before you travel, read your embassy's travel advice for Saudi Arabia; it lists the emergency numbers and where to get help. If you lost bank cards, call your bank to block them.
Left something in an app ride, an airport taxi or at the airport?
Ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Careem have a help section in the app where you can report a lost item from your trip history. Use it as soon as you notice, because the app links you to that exact trip.
If you took a taxi from the official airport rank, contact the airport's information desk and give the time of your ride and anything you noted about the taxi, such as its number or plate. Items left on the aircraft are usually handled by your airline, and items left in the terminal by the airport, so contact them directly. Our post on licensed taxis at Saudi airports explains why noting the plate is worth the few seconds it takes.
A quick check before you get out of the car
Small things that were in your hands or on the seat during the ride are the easiest to forget. Take a few seconds at the final stop to look around before you close the door.
- Phones, chargers and power banks: check the seat pockets, the charging points and the floor.
- Passports, wallets and permit printouts: keep them in one zipped pocket or pouch.
- Prayer mats, tasbih and small bags you carried on your lap.
- Children's things: toys, bottles, jackets and car-seat blankets.
- Glasses and medicines, which are easy to put down on a long drive.
- Suitcases and Zamzam: count every bag at the kerb before the driver leaves.
Habits that make a lost item easier to trace
If you carry a lot of luggage, our post on Umrah luggage transport covers how to pack and count bags for each leg of the trip.
- Keep the WhatsApp booking chat. It holds the driver's name and plate, which we send the day before your ride.
- Put a name tag with your phone number on every bag, including hand luggage.
- On long trips with rest stops, check the seats again at each stop, not only at the end.
- Save our number, +966 57 951 9804, in your phone and write it on paper too.
- Turn on your phone's find-my-device feature before you travel, so you can see its last location if it goes missing.