DAMMAM, 31 October 2003 — Reports that the Shoura Council has not reached agreement on the citizenship issue has saddened expatriates in the Eastern Province but they have not lost hope. They believe that sooner or later citizenship will become easier for expatriates. Many say that the issue has not been shelved and that newspaper reports indicate that there are disagreements on the mechanism and not on the concept.
“The issue is very much alive and we are sure that once again it will come up for debate,” said Irfan Ahmad, a Pakistani national who has been in the Kingdom for the past 24 years.
“It is not an easy issue and Shoura members as well as the Council of Ministers have to review all the aspects very carefully. Disagreements are bound to come up,” said Yasin, a Palestinian who wants Saudi citizenship.
Ali Barasheed, a Yemeni national working in the Kingdom for the past 28 years, also wants Saudi nationality. He believes that the Shoura will again bring up the issue for discussion with new recommendations.
Saudis also believe that the issue needs thorough discussion. One has to review all aspects of citizenship taking into view culture, politics, religion and security, said Saeed Al-Qahtani, a former member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“One encouraging factor that emerges from the report is the fact that the Shoura is not a rubber stamp body and that it discusses all subjects freely and objectively,” Al-Qahtani said.
Saleh Al-Humaidan, managing director of Al-Youm Group of Publications, echoed the same views and said that the Shoura Council over the years had lived up to people’s expectations and discussed issues without bias and prejudices.
He gave examples of discussion on taxing expatriates which the Shoura rejected, the revised labor law and now the citizenship question.
Expatriates, however, say that before taking any firm decision on the issue, the Shoura Council should also discuss reforms in regulations pertaining to foreign workers and provide them with more rights.
“The present system is based on regulations drafted many years ago. Since then, the whole world has changed. It is about time that new regulations were written taking into account the realities of life,” said a Pakistani engineer.
Expatriates say that in the present system, they are at the mercy of their sponsors. They feel strongly that the system needs serious review.
