Citizenship rules change in Saudi Arabia; Indians affected!

In significant news for many foreign nationals living in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom has decided to amend the country’s citizenship requirements, particularly for children born to foreign nationals and expats. In a historic move, Saudi Arabia has agreed to a regulation allowing expat residents’ children to petition for citizenship as long as they are at least 18 years old. For something to be applicable to a child, several additional requirements must be satisfied.

Children of Saudi Arabian women who wed foreigners are now eligible to petition for citizenship in their home nation once they turn 18 as per the new regulation. According to Article 8 of the Saudi Arabian Nationality System, the Prime Minister has the discretion to issue citizenship, the Saudi Gazette said. The Saudi Arabian Nationality System’s Article 8 reads, according to media sources, ‘A person who is born in the Kingdom to a foreign father and a Saudi mother may be given Saudi citizenship provided certain qualifications are completed’.

How will the new Saudi citizenship rules benefit Indians?
Up to 25 lakh Indian citizens and expats, the most of whom work as labourers, are now residing in Saudi Arabia. In addition to being married to Saudi women, many of them are business owners in that country. The offspring of Indian expats who married Saudi women could not receive citizenship under the former citizenship regulations. Many of them can now seek for citizenship and benefit from it once they reach the age of 18, providing they satisfy all the requirements.

There are certain requirements for an Indian expat’s kid to obtain Saudi citizenship –

• Arabic language proficiency is required of the applicant.
• When he reaches the age of majority, they need to be citizens of the Kingdom.
• They must be morally upright and of good character; they cannot have been convicted of a crime or served more than six months in jail for an immoral act.

All Indians who now reside in Saudi Arabia and are wed to Saudi women must make a significant decision on this. As long as they satisfy all the prerequisite requirements, the kids will now be eligible to petition for citizenship at the age of 18.