Saudi Gazette

UPTO 63 Shoura Council members agreed to study a proposal to grant nationality to children of Saudi women and foreign fathers. During the past two years two official Shoura proposals and massive call from hundreds of opinion writers for the review of the Saudi Nationality System has resulted in a plea to consider giving nationality to non-Saudi children of Saudi women. In a report published by Okaz on Nov. 8, 2016, official figures show that some 700,000 Saudi women were documented as being married to non-Saudis in 2013.

The justification for such calls is attributed to seeking equality between men and women in the Kingdom. It is also a way to ease the the burden of exit re-entry visa fees, which also hinders children’s education abroad, on the mixed families. In addition, those pro the move say many countries, including Arab countries, do provide children with their mothers’ nationalities. They also note that the children of Saudi women are qualified individuals who have been living in the Kingdom and by not providing them with nationality the society will lose active members of the society. In addition by giving children of Saudi mothers nationality it would prevent any form of blackmailing in case of divorce.

The two Shoura proposals include providing the nationality to children of Saudi mothers once they reach 18 years old and they prove they have stayed at least 10 years in the Kingdom during this period. Children must also provide a clear criminal record and know Arabic language before they apply for nationality. Other suggestions oblige the children to give away their father’s nationality if they want the Saudi nationality. Some suggestions include giving a Saudi passport at birth and the nationality within six month after adolescence (18 years old).

Current and previous women Shoura members have lobbied along with their male colleagues to push for this file to be discussed in the Shoura Council. Well known women who called for this move are Latifa Al-Shaalan, Haya Al-Manie, Thuraya Obaid and Wafa Taibah.

Al-Shalan, one of those pushing for the file in the Shoura Council, wrote on her Twitter account, “My colleagues and I feel relieved, the file has gone through in the council”. She described the opposing the view on the basis of tracing ancestry of children as “pathetic rather than surprising,” adding that they have not asked for naming children after their mothers instead of fathers.

Moudi Al-Khalaf, another Shoura member, congratulated Saudi women for their concerns and the struggle of their children is being negotiated at the council and hoped that the better is yet to come.

Saudi mothers and their children are hoping these calls and negotiations at the council will turn into a law that gives children of Saudi women the right for Saudi nationality. Hissa Al-Ruwaili, a Saudi mother of expatriate children, called on higher authorities to consider granting nationality to children of Saudi mothers. “My children deserve the nationality, they are the children of this country, they have Saudi blood.”

Similarly Omar, a son of a Saudi mother, said he is a doctor and serves his country Saudi Arabia through working in a hospital. “The struggle of Saudi mothers will be put to an end soon by Crown Prince,” he hoped.

Samiah, a daughter of a Saudi women, wrote “It is not believable that children of Saudi women are threatened to leave their mother’s homeland if she passes away. It is not believable that 10% of their money is being taken from them. It is not believable that they will be deprived of their mothers’ pensions, and it is not believable that they will be obliged to look for a sponsor. Supporting women should include all aspects of life.” She elaborated that they hope that higher authorities would reconsider the nationality system.

Wafa Al-Rashid, an opinion writer at Okaz newspaper, wrote a piece entitled “Strangers in their homeland”. She noted that this is the case of children of Saudi mothers who are forced to leave the country after their mothers, who sponsor them, passes away.

She added, “Law protects the citizen either a male or a female. Why are we discriminating.” She questioned that Saudi men who get married to non-Saudi women get all the rights for their wives without even questioning their behaviors.

Faiz Aziz, another opinion writer at Makkah newspaper, said, “Good news make us happy even if they come late.” He added that what is not impressive, however, is the opposing views and the claims that giving nationality to children of Saudi mothers will raise such issues like tracing ancestry or lack of water.

Mohammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Fal said in his opinion piece in Al-Hayat daily that these children turn into doctors, engineers teachers managing specialists and consultants, and entrepreneurs who feel insecure, and the country needs to provide to them and their mothers with basic needs for decent life. “We should not give away our cadres and look for them outside our borders,” he said, adding that Saudi women are more capable of raising children on love to the country and loyalty to it. “It would be insulting to Saudi women to accuse them of showing less love to the country and assuming that their children are keen to stay in this country only to live in it and benefit from its fortune.”

The point system that now allows children to get nationality

If the mother is living permanently in the Kingdom the son gets one point when he reaches adolescence. If the son has no less than a high-school certificate he gets one point. If the father and grandfather of the mother are Saudi the child gets six points, but if only the father is Saudi the child gets two points only. If the son has siblings he gets two points, The son must have at least seven points. Daughters, however, are not included in the current point system.