“The new amendments to Articles (7) and (8) concern children born in the Kingdom to a foreign father and Saudi mother and a foreign woman married to a Saudi,” spokesman of Civil Affairs Muhammad Al-Jasser said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
Local media reported in November last year that the Shoura Council had recommended granting citizenship to non-Saudi women married to citizens if they fulfilled certain conditions.
In its recommendations the Shoura also urged the Council of Ministers to grant citizenship to children of Saudi women married to non-Saudi men.
Al-Jasser said the amendment to Article (7) states that a committee set up by the Directorate of Naturalization will evaluate the applicant on the basis of five factors that would enable the candidate to score the seven points needed to be considered for citizenship.
1. If his residence in the Kingdom is permanent at the time when he becomes adult. In that case he is eligible to get one point in the evaluation.
2. If he has an academic certificate not less than a secondary graduation, he gets one point.
3. If the father of the mother and her grandfather from her father’s side are Saudis, he gets six points.
4. If only his mother’s father is Saudi, he gets two points.
5. If an applicant has one or more Saudi brothers or sisters, he gets two points.
If an applicant gets at least seven points, the committee recommends his application for further action. If the points are below seven his application will be kept in reserve and the applicant will be informed of the situation.
The application of a woman married to a Saudi for citizenship will also be evaluated by the committee and will consider six factors. Candidates should score 17 points for further action.
1. If one or more of her relatives such as father, mother or brother are Saudis, she gets two points.
2. If she is born in the Kingdom, she gets two points.
3. If she has an academic certificate not less than a university degree, she gets two points.
4. If she is a resident in the Kingdom for a period of not less than 10 consecutive years prior to the date of her marriage, she gets two points.
5. For each year, after the approval of the competent authority of the marriage, she gets one point, up to a maximum of twelve points.
6. If she gives birth to a baby, she gets two points and if she gives birth to two babies or more she gets four points. If, however, the children’s father is not Saudi, her application for Saudi citizenship shall not be considered.
If the woman applicant fails to score 17 points, the committee will keep the application in reserve.
