Acquire Saudi Arabian Citizenship

• The applicant must be of good conduct and behavior and has never been convicted of a criminal
  offense or imprisonment for a moral offense for a period exceeding six months.
• The applicant must be familiar with the Arabic language.
• The applicant must submit the request after reaching the age of maturity to be granted Saudi
  Arabian citizenship.
  As for the disabled or individuals with mental disorders,
  each of them follows their father in relation to care if the father is alive. If the event of
  the father’s death,
  the legal resident must select the Saudi Arabian nationality for him after completing the
  previous conditions.

Once the information is provided by the applicant, the committee will evaluate the application based
on three components, representing a total of 33 points to be distributed as follows:

• Residency of the applicant for at least ten consecutive years with a total score of ten points.
• The profession of the applicant is proven through scientific qualifications and is based on the
  country’s
  needs. The total points should not exceed 13 points and only one qualification of the applicated
  is counted as follows:
  • Doctorate degree in medicine or engineering allotting thirteen points
  • Doctorate degree in other sciences allotting ten points.
  • Master’s degree allotting eight points.
  • Bachelor’s degree allotting five points.
• Family ties, ensuring that the applicant has Saudi relatives. The total points should not exceed
  ten points,
  distributed as follows:
  
  • If the father is Saudi, he is allotted three points.
  • If the mother and her father are Saudi, three points are allotted, however, if only the
    mother is Saudi and her father is not, two points are allotted.
  • If the wife and her father are Saudi, three points are allotted, however, if the wife
    is Saudi and her father is not, one point is allotted.
  • If the applicant has more than two Saudi children and brothers, two points are
    allotted, however, if there are no more than two,
    one point is allotted.

If the applicant obtains 23 points as a minimum score, the committee recommends that he continues
reviewing his application.
In the event that he doesn’t achieve the required limit, it is recommended that the application be
kept.
The applications are reviewed, and the rest of the procedures are completed and submitted to the
Naturalization Committee,
in order to issue the final recommendation and present it to the Minister of Interior.

The following actions are taken in relation to applications for citizenships:

• Registration of the application in the records of the serial entry at the time of submission.
  The applicant is given a
  voucher indicating the number and date of the application.
• Fill out the citizenship application form with the applicant’s signature, photo, and stamp from
  the administration.
• Fill out three copies of the information form.
• Submit an original copy of all documents supported by the applicant.
• Inform the applicant of the system’s requirements and ensure that his signature is provided
  stating his knowledge of the requirements.
• A medical report proving mental and physical integrity.
• A statement from the authorities concerned with the specialties that the country needs.
• A copy of the qualifications, which must be translated to Arabic if it is originally in another
  language.
• Submit a statement about wealth owned inside and outside the Kingdom and his sources of income.
• Submit a statement of religious denomination, political or party activity, and previous
  military services.

Conditions for Obtaining Citizenship

The following is required for an applicant for Saudi citizenship:

• At the time of submitting the application, the applicant must have reached the age of maturity.
• The applicant must not be mentally unstable.

Upon submitting the application, the applicant must:

• Acquire the status of ordinary permanent residence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the
  provisions of its system for a period of no less than five consecutive years.
• The applicant must be of good conduct.
• The applicant must not have been sentenced to imprisonment for a moral
  offense for a period exceeding six months.
• The applicant must prove that he earns his income in a legitimate way.

Granting Citizenship to a Foreign Woman Married to a Saudi Man

Citizenship is granted to a foreign woman married to a Saudi man if she submits a request to do
so and the following conditions are met:

Evidence of a legal marital relationship.

• Announcing that she has abandoned her original nationality before a public notary.
• The marriage must be in accordance with the instructions regulating the marriage of a Saudi to
  a foreigner.
• Submit a statement that the applicant does not have any previous criminal convictions or moral
  offenses.
• No notes or restrictions are registered with the relevant authorities.
• The applicant must be residing in the Kingdom.
• The marriage must last for at least five years and may suffice according to the following:
  • If four years have passed since the marriage and she has not given birth, one or more of the
  following cases must be met:
  • • If one of her brothers or sisters hold the Saudi citizenship.
    • If she was born in the Kingdom to foreign parents.
    • If the husband is one of her relatives.
    • If the husband is a professional, such as a doctor or engineer.
    • If the age difference between her and her husband does not exceed five years.
• The period that has passed since marriage is sufficient if one of the following cases is met:
  • If the applicant’s father was a Saudi by naturalization and she did not obtain
    citizenship from him.
  • If the applicant gives birth to more than one child.
  • If the applicant gave birth to one soon and the mother was Saudi.
  • If the applicant gives birth to one son and has more than one brother or sister who
    holds Saudi citizenship.
  • If the applicant is born in the Kingdom to a Saudi mother and meets the conditions of
    Article 8 of the system.
• The previous marriage period of a Saudi husband is calculated for the purpose of completing the
  arranged period if the applicant has children from a previous husband. The wife of a foreigner,
  who has recently acquired Saudi Arabia nationality, has the right to become a Saudi unless she
  decides, within a year of her husband’s attainment of the Saudi Arabian nationality, that she
  wishes to keep her original nationality.

Granting Citizenship to a Foreign Widow of a Saudi

Citizenship is granted to a Saudi foreign widow if she submits a request to do so and the
following conditions are met:

• Evidence that she is legally widowed by her Saudi husband.
• The applicant must announce that she has abandoned her original nationality before a judge or a
  public notary.
• The applicant must not remarry after her husband’s death.
• The applicant must reside in the Kingdom.
• The applicant must submit a statement that she has not been previously convicted of a criminal
  or moral offense.
• No notes or restrictions are registered with the competent authorities.
• The applicant must have one or more children who have reached the age of maturity or are close
  to it, from her
  deceased Saudi husband or from a previous husband.

Dual Nationality

Saudis are not permitted to acquire any foreign citizenship without the permission of the Prime
Minister. If a Saudi Citizen acquired foreign Citizenship without this permission, they will be
considered Saudi unless the Saudi Government revokes their Saudi Citizenship according to the terms
of Article 13: takes up foreign Citizenship without permission of the Prime Minister; works for
another country’s military; works for the benefit of a foreign Government during wartime with the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; works for a foreign Government or International Organisation despite the
Saudi Government’s order for them to quit

Permit for Foreign Citizenship

Saudis are not permitted to acquire any foreign citizenship without the permission of the Prime
Minister. If a Saudi Citizen acquired foreign Citizenship without this permission, he will be
considered Saudi unless the Saudi Government dropped his Saudi Citizenship according to the term of
Article (13).

If the Saudi Citizen acquired foreign citizenship after the permission; his wife loses her Saudi
Citizenship if the statutory laws of the new citizenship require that she follows her husband>s
nationality, unless she requested (within one year as maximum) to keep her Saudi Arabian
Citizenship. Though his underage children follow his new citizenship (if the statutory laws of the
new citizenship are required) and lose their Saudi Citizenship, they have the right to restore their
Saudi Citizenship within one year after reaching the legal age.

Saudi Citizenship may be withdrawn by a Decree in case of the following:

A- If the Saudi Citizen obtained another citizenship and violated Article (11) of this system.

B- If the Saudi Citizen worked at the Armed Forces of any foreign Government without obtaining
the permission of the Saudi Government.

C- If the Saudi Citizen worked for the benefit of a foreign Government during its wartime with
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

D- If the Saudi Citizen accepted working for a foreign government or international
organization, and remain working for them despite the Saudi Government order for him to quit.

In all cases mentioned in Paragraphs (a, b, c, d) of this Article, the Saudi Citizen must be warned
3 months in advance before withdrawing his Citizenship. According to this system, clearance of his
possessions must take place in accordance with the real estate possession system, and he may be
deprived of residing in the Saudi Arabian lands.