RIYADH, 3 September 2004 — More and more expatriates working in Saudi Arabia are planning to make Bahrain their retirement home following the announcement by the Bahraini government to offer new residence permits to foreigners over 55 years of age. The Bahraini decision is, in certain ways, similar to the UAE’s policy under which affluent foreigners can obtain life-long visas, which allows them to settle down in Dubai or in other emirates.
“Some applications from expatriates living in Saudi Arabia are now under processing in Bahrain,” said a statement released by the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs of Bahrain. This will be a new self-sponsorship residence permit, which will allow GCC residents to lead their retired lives in Bahrain.
A large number of expatriates living in Saudi Arabia do not want to go back to their home countries in the middle of their career or even after retirement for many social, political, economic and religious reasons.
“I have already contacted the officials in Manama for processing my papers,” said Arif Jamal, a senior Pakistani citizen working as an executive for a local company. Jamal said “many of his compatriots, whose number in the Kingdom exceeds one million, will take up this offer from the Bahraini government.
Bahrain’s immigration offices have been flooded with calls following the government’s invitation last week to foreigners to make Bahrain their retirement home.
A number of expatriates whom Arab News contacted yesterday were eager to move to Bahrain and nearly all of them have shown interest in knowing more about the offer. Saudi Arabia alone is home to over 7.5 million foreigners. They include 1.5 million Indians, one million Pakistanis, one million Bangladeshis, 850,000 Filipinos and 80,000 Americans and Europeans.
According to new rules announced by Bahrain, foreigners who have lived in other GCC states for 15 years and have bank deposits of 40,000 dinars will be able to make Bahrain their permanent home.
