JEDDAH, 21 October 2004 — The amended naturalization law approved by the Cabinet has evoked mixed reactions ranging from relief to indifference among the female community.
“Not having Saudi nationality has caused me numerous inconveniences over the years,” said Omaimah Ahmad, a King Abdul Aziz University student whose father is Sudanese and mother Saudi. “Even though my father has been living in Saudi Arabia for more than 23 years we could not get into public schools, my father could not own his business or get the promotions he deserved because of our nationality status. Until now, Saudi nationality was only available to my brother. As a daughter of a Saudi mother, I would have only been able to become Saudi if I had married a Saudi.”
“It is an excellent decision. Hopefully it will be implemented,” said Rodha Muhammad Hussein when asked what she thought of the new citizenship law allowing non-Saudis married to Saudis to get Saudi citizenship. She is a Saudi married to an Egyptian engineer and has been living in Saudi Arabia for the past 27 years and all their children were born and raised in Saudi Arabia.
“We applied for the citizenship 10 years ago and our request was denied. My husband is planning to apply again now that the law has changed,” Rodha told Arab News. Her children have suffered the consequences of not being Saudi in applying for university and jobs. At first her eldest daughter could not enter university because she did not hold a Saudi citizenship, but then a law was introduced allowing children of Saudi mothers to be enrolled in Saudi universities. She was issued a card to be treated as a Saudi.
“She graduated with top grades and was offered the position of lecturer at the university, and she was so happy, but then they said that she could not get the position because she was not Saudi,” said Rodha bitterly. When her daughter applied for jobs, she was given a contract as a foreigner which offers less pay. “This is my right and my children’s right. This is our country,” she said.
Ibtisam Fuad, a 61-year-old widow of a Jordanian, was emotional with relief at the news. “Mountains have been lifted off my shoulders now that I know that my son is going to get the nationality and live in the Kingdom without having to deal with the troubles of sponsorship, iqamas and other restrictions.”
She continued: “It’s also a relief to know that the daughters who didn’t marry Saudis also have a right to nationality just by meeting the conditions.”
According to the naturalization law, any person applying for Saudi citizenship should be: An adult who has spent at least 10 continuous years in the Kingdom; mentally and physically fit; a professional the country requires; fluent in spoken and written Arabic; and not have been sentenced to more than six months in jail for moral crime.
Many found the conditions related to Arabic fluency and 10 continuous years in the Kingdom to be potential obstacles in the way of their acquiring Saudi nationality.
“I’ve been married to my Saudi husband for nearly 25 years,” says Asma, a Turkish. “We’ve been living outside the Kingdom for the past near 20 years and I’m not fluent in Arabic because my husband speaks Turkish. And I don’t work. Does this mean that I can’t apply for nationality?”
Arab News met with a group of women whose spouses were not fluent in Arabic or who were not fluent in Arabic themselves.
“It’s not practical to demand that my husband has got to be fluent in spoken and written Arabic,” said Yasmine who is married to an Englishman of Indian origin. “My written Arabic is quite poor. How can we demand of others what we’re not capable of ourselves? This naturalization law is full of catches.”
“My mother is French, so my mother tongue is French and I’m married to a French convert. He can barely speak some Arabic words and wants us to permanently live in the Kingdom and I would hardly call myself fluent in written Arabic. What’s their definition of fluent written Arabic anyway?” said Lujayne Abdullah. “He’s Muslim, shouldn’t that matter even though religion isn’t even mentioned in the conditions?”
Samar Taleb, a Pakistani elementary teacher married to a Lebanese accountant, said: “My husband and I would love to settle down here and have access to the holy mosques. But with the sponsorship system and professional restrictions, how can we guarantee a smooth 10-year period?”
Among the group there were those who thought the naturalization law was too late. “Years ago the majority of foreigners would’ve jumped at the chance for Saudi citizenship,” said Hana Mohammad. “Now only those who’ve got no ties with their countries or who are financially comfortable would mostly want to become Saudis. For achievers this isn’t the place to be. Those who want to develop want developed countries, not developing ones.”
“Who wants to be a Saudi nowadays?” said Aisha Mustafa. “Saudis are persecuted and scrutinized in most parts of the world.”
She concluded: “Let’s face it, the only place where it’s an advantage to be a Saudi is Saudi Arabia.”
