Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 3300; Flight Crew Type 50
Time Pressure; Confusion; Distraction; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
On Cruise flight; speaking with Cairo; we were enroute and very close to FIR exit point KITOT before entering Saudi Arabian airspace on our filed and cleared routing.  Cairo gave us immediate instructions off of cleared route to a fix which the controller misspelled numerous times.  While we worked on the spelling of the new fix; the controller gave us an immediate turn to a heading of 360 degrees.  The fix; METSO was entered into the FMS but we were abeam it; approximately 16 NM south of it by the time the controller spelled it correctly.  Riyadh control talked to us and told us to expect holding due to not having permission to overly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  We DID have an overflight permit and a flight plan even though the Riyadh controller could not find it. The Riyadh controller asked us repeatedly for a GACA number.  Our trip planning service later advised us that GACA numbers have not been used for years.  The controller gave us routing to fly and eventually found our flight plan and overflight permit and stated 'no problem.'  The issue at hand is that this is very close to Israeli airspace and the METSO fix the controller instructed us to go to was in Jordanian airspace and we did not have an overflight for Jordan.  This could be potentially dangerous.  We do not think we entered Jordanian airspace since our aircraft never made it to METSO.  We followed ATC instructions but Cairo was setting us up for an airspace violation of Jordan. Due to the urgency we turned to the ATC suggested heading immediately.  We did not deviate from any controller instructions.  If Cairo would have given us more notice; we could have worked this out prior; instead it happened right at the FIR border.  We never were handed off to Amman control; only spoke to Cairo and Riyadh.  I do not know what could be done other than possibly a note to assure any re-clearance is not in Israeli or Jordanian airspace and to enter holding at the FIR boundary instead of going off the cleared route; in potentially the most critical airspace in the world.  I have flown in this area of the world many times and have never experienced this type of event.  In addition; Saudi controllers should know that GACA numbers are not required; just an overflight permit number.  We wasted a lot of time going back and forth about a number that never existed and the controller should have known that.  We had all required documents for the flight.
A flight crew enroute to Dubai was informed by Riyadh Control to expect holding due to not having permission to overfly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They DID in fact; have an overflight permit but the Riyadh controller could not find their flight plan. He asked for A General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) number; which have not been used for years. The controller found the flight plan and stated 'no problem'.