Indians may benefit from new Saudi law

Thousands of skilled expatriates will be able to apply for Saudi citizenship under an amendment to the nationality laws.

Thousands of skilled expatriates, including Indians, will be able to apply for Saudi citizenship under an amendment to the nationality laws being planned by the oil-rich Gulf kingdom.

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This follows approval by King Fahd bin Abdulaziz of amendments to some articles of nationality law at the weekly cabinet meeting held earlier this week, a Saudi government statement said.

In a briefing to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on the cabinet meeting, posted on the SPA Website, Minister of Culture and Information Fou'ad Bin Abdul-Salam Al-Farsy said it had been decided to amend the necessary articles of the royal decree on Saudi nationality permitting "well qualified expatriates" to opt for Saudi nationality.

One of the important requirements is that the expatriate should have been residing in the kingdom for at least 10 consecutive years.

"He should be of a vocation that the country is in need of. This condition is not applicable for those who were born in the kingdom from foreign mothers and unidentified fathers," the statement said.

Around 25 percent or an estimated 8.8 million people residing in Saudi Arabia are expatriates with Indians constituting the single largest chunk. Officially, there are 1.5 million Indian workers in Saudi Arabia, though unofficial sources estimate it to be nearer two million.

But more than half of them will not qualify for nationality if only professionals are considered eligible.

Besides being physically and mentally fit, earning a good livelihood and having good track record, the expatriate should also have good command of the Arabic language, including reading and writing skills, the statement said.

"The interior minister will issue the executive statute for this system within 120 days from the publication of these amendments. He will also issue the required decisions in this respect," said the statement.

"If the expatriate gets Saudi Arabian nationality then his wife will become a Saudi Arabian national when she comes to the kingdom and decides to seek Saudi nationality. His non-adult children will gain Saudi Arabian nationality if they are residing in the kingdom or if they come to it before reaching full legal age.

"They will also have the right to select the original nationality of their father within one year from reaching the legal age," it added.

In the case of major sons, the Saudi government has decided to authorise the interior minister to grant them the Saudi nationality if they are legally residing in the kingdom for a period not less than five years.

The adult sons would have to present an application within a year of their father acquiring Saudi nationality.

The Interior Minister is authorized to grant Saudi Arabian nationality to a foreign woman who is married to a Saudi, or who is a foreign widow of a Saudi if she applies and revokes her original nationality.

In the case of a divorcee, the nationality would be nullified if the woman has regained her original nationality.

Saudi women would also be given the option of retaining their nationality in the event of their marrying a non-Saudi.

Within 10 years of granting nationality, the government would hold the right to revoke it in case the person is convicted of any crime or immoral act, the SPA stated.