Saudi Arabia mulls permanent residency for expatriates

April 6, 2016

Manama, Apr 6: Saudi Arabia could introduce a system for its millions of expatriates that would be similar to the Green Card system in the US.

expatriates
The inclination, announced by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud in an interview with Bloomberg, would help the kingdom generate new revenues for the national economy.

No details were given by Prince Mohammad, but with around nine million foreigners living in the vast kingdom, making up one third of the total population, the system would be a source for the country as it seeks to implement an ambitious package of new reforms and measures that will considerably improve its non-oil revenues and “raise at least an extra $100 billion a year by 2020, more than tripling non-oil income and balancing the budget.”

“It's a large package of programmes that aims to restructure some revenue-generating sectors,” Prince Mohammad told Bloomberg.

The emulation of the American Green Card system would be alongside more steps to restructure subsidies and the imposition of a value-added tax and a levy on energy and sugary drinks as well as luxury items, the deputy crown prince reportedly said.

Most of the foreigners in Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirate – are Asians, mainly unskilled workers in the booming building and service sectors.

In his interview, Prince Mohammad expressed optimism the new measures would reinforce the government's drive to reduce reliance on oil and to boost non-oil revenues.

“We did a quick fix in 2015 which increased our non-oil revenue by 35 per cent,” he said. “This year, we are trying to target over $25 billion. I believe we will succeed in achieving more than $10 billion in non-oil revenue in 2016.”

With the dramatic slump of oil prices, the GCC countries have been looking at viable options to generate non-oil sources and reduce threats to fiscal stability and sustainability.

Experts believe that hydrocarbon exports represent more than 80 per cent of the total revenue in the GCC countries where taxation is almost absent.

The main non-oil revenue base in the GCC states currently includes customs duties and fees and charges.

Bahrain, the first GCC country to discover oil in 1932, has been leading the way in the diversification of non-oil resources.

Comments

Naren kotian
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Hahaha viren ..namge beda aa wahabi rashtra ..muzzies here in this column please note yelli yenne sigalvo ..yelli dance bars or disco theck ilvo ...antha rashtra kke banni makla full citizenship kodthivi andru ..beda milk shake mama neene itko beda andu bidteevi ...we are well aware soon saud family will collapse ...Isis is already making deep inroads into Saudi ...they have the weakest army in the world .this program will encourage Indo pakis who are in very large No's in India .no non Muslims will take PR for sure .as per IMF due to decline in oil revenues for the first time they are reeling into debt. Haha..soon it will create more problem as they don't have alternate non oil source ..milk shakes ge bere field nalli ashtu talent saha illa. ..

KhasaiKhaane
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Hahahahah... So Non-Muslims also want green card in Saudi? Check if you can avail one, but make sure you don't worship Camel Maatha,..!
There are other disadvantages though;
- No Riots
- No Photoshop
- No Love Jihad issue.
- No Moral policing
- No Lynching
- No Alchohol/Drugs
- No Pornography
- No Rapes
Are you sure you chaddis will be able to survive without all this?

DEAR VIREN
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Just study QURAN, YOU will understand Y u feel grudge against MUSLIMS...
Our CREATOR speaks about the CREATION & also he Warns us about Y grudge, Jealousy, Sin, hate, crime, DECEPTION & other Evils come from... and ROOT it comes from.
Animals live their way and Man was created by ALLAH with intelligence... Sometimes Use your intelligence to know what our CREATOR speaks... and dont live like the animals.

mohammad.n
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren why do u need now muslim country green card?

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren...say Bharat Mata ki jai n enjoy your stay here..why worried about green card

Owaisi
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

@ Viren Kotian 100% only for Muslims and should accept Saudi Arabia Islamic Rules with respect

Riyaz
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren Kotiyaaan
Why are you intrested in the permanent residence of KSA. you should be happy in india with the chaddies ruling you. And by the way not everyone in the world is like you and your chadii rulers. there are people who look for the Human attributes in human beings not only religion . thats why there are many RSS chaddies who earn in saudi and send the money to their families in india.

mangalorean
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

I think for you spcially we will recommend govt to get red card to ban saudi arabia

Viren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Only for muslims or non muslims also will get green card?

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.