RIYADH, 13 March 2005 — Contrary to reports appearing in a section of the press, foreigners applying for Saudi citizenship need not fill any special form, Deputy Minister for Civil Affairs Nasser Al-Hanaya clarified in a statement issued here yesterday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the official dismissed reports about such a requirement as “baseless”.
Al-Hanaya said changes made to the Saudi naturalization law have already been published in the media as well as laws governing Saudis marrying non-Saudis.
He said applications currently being processed by the Civil Status Departments are those from foreigners who had already applied for Saudi citizenship.
The official also said some rules in the Saudi naturalization law have been amended. These new rules, he added, “will specify the conditions and regulations applicants must comply with and will be published in the official Saudi newspaper Umm Al-Qura. It will also be published in Saudi dailies and can be accessed from the Civil Status Department’s website (www.ahwal.gov.sa) soon.”
Al-Hanaya said the amended law does not imply any large-scale handout of Saudi citizenship to non-Saudis. The government has simply changed certain rules in accordance with what it sees are in best public interest.
Last week, the head of private rights in the Ministry of Interior, Muhammad Al-Muhanna, said there were “no conditions for a Saudi to marry a non-Saudi”.
In a statement published by Al-Madinah daily, the official said “every Saudi girl who is aged 25 or above has the right to marry a non-Saudi without any preconditions.”
He also pointed out that according to the ministry’s regulations Saudi nationals are free to marry non-Saudis who are born in the Kingdom. He said foreign women born in the Kingdom enjoy the same rights as Saudis do in social matters.
