JEDDAH, 3 May 2005 — The number of prospective applicants for Saudi citizenship dwindled considerably after most people realized it was impossible for them to fulfill many of the conditions set by authorities.

Zaid Al-Tamimi, director of the department’s office in Riyadh, said the number of applicants in the city dropped by 60 percent from 10,000 to 4,000 on the second day after the public was informed of the conditions required for citizenship.

“The most important conditions are that the applicant must have higher education in medicine or engineering, must have stayed in the Kingdom continuously for at least 10 years and have close family relations with Saudis,” he pointed out.

According to official sources, more than 100,000 copies of application forms were distributed on the first day, with expatriates in Jeddah and Makkah receiving the lion’s share.

Muhammad Khaled, an 87-year-old Yemeni, expressed hope that authorities would not reject his application. “I have been living here for more than 25 years. All my children were born here and married Saudis. All my assets are here,” he explained.

Alaa, an Iraqi, was doubtful whether he would qualify for citizenship because of the stringent conditions. “My parents and brothers are Saudis. I have been staying with my uncles in Iraq,” he said, adding that he has been knocking at the door of the Civil Affairs office for the past 15 years seeking citizenship.

Many had thought Saudi citizenship was open to all after the Cabinet passed amendments to the naturalization law. Haya, an Indian woman living in the Kingdom for 23 years, said she was surprised to know about the “impossible” conditions.

In Madinah, many people visited the Civil Affairs office on the third day. Ali Bakheet, a physiochemistry professor, said he was confident of gaining citizenship. He has been living in the holy city for 20 years, his wife is Saudi and their children are studying at Saudi universities and schools.

But Othman, who came to the Kingdom 50 years ago with his father and whose children were all born in Madinah, was disappointed when officials refused to give him an application form. “I’ll not leave this country even if I do not receive citizenship,” he said.

Subhi Abdul Azim, an Egyptian, hoped that his wife, who has been working as a doctor in Madinah for 10 years, would get citizenship.

“We distributed applications only to those who are qualified,” Al-Madinah Arabic daily quoted a Civil Affairs official in Madinah as saying.

There were big queues in front of Civil Affairs offices in southern Jizan region and applicants included many Yemeni businessmen. About 80 percent of applicants in the region were Yemenis, the paper said.

Many Asian expatriates in Makkah were disappointed after knowing that they were not qualified for citizenship. The prospective applicants included taxi drivers, restaurant workers and bakers, Al-Madinah said, adding that some of them had been in the Kingdom for only two years. Some people in the holy city exploited the demand for application forms and sold photocopies on the black market.