It is good news that the Ministry of the Interior is considering amending the country’s naturalization laws to allow foreigners to obtain Saudi nationality. The governor of the greatest state in America, California, is a naturalized citizen who came to the United States at the age of 25.
Here in the Kingdom, we have people who have spent the best part of their lives serving this country without the faintest hope of becoming Saudi nationals; in addition, they continue to be treated as foreigners. The same laws apply to those who arrived in the Kingdom yesterday as to those who arrived decades ago.
America’s secretary of state is black as is the country’s national security adviser. The general in command of American forces in the Gulf and Iraq is of Arab origin. Many in top administrative positions are of Arab, Mexican or African origin. The “foreigner complex” is simply not found there. They are all Americans and are treated as such.
The world around us is changing fast and countries around the world are constantly reforming their laws and systems. We need to do the same and change ours to narrow geographical gaps, remove differences based on sex, religion and color and work to fully utilize, and benefit from, all the country’s resources.
Our naturalization laws have been treated as a taboo. Those who dare to discuss them risk being accused of disloyalty. It was finally raised — for the first time at the official level — by Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed at a meeting of the Makkah provincial council. The prince floated the idea of granting Saudi nationality to those who have been legally in the Kingdom for a number of years and who have contributed to the country’s development.
It is time the Ministry of the Interior reviewed its laws — especially the sponsorship (kafeel) system. The word is so despicable that it ought to be removed from our vocabulary. No Saudi would agree to be treated like this when traveling abroad for work or for any purpose. Sponsorship is for minors and those who cannot act responsibly. It is unacceptable that in almost everything the kafeel acts on behalf of those whom he sponsors.
The system with all its unnecessary restrictions, including countless files of paperwork and vast sums of money paid in fees constitutes a heavy bureaucratic burden. It has even failed to prevent workers from running away from their sponsors and seeking work elsewhere.
We should introduce instead an open visit visa system, which would definitely add to the national revenues and attract more visitors, be they workers, pilgrims, tourists or businessmen. Let the state laws and regulations govern the relationship between the country and its foreign workers.
