Saudi Arabia: Expat hopes dashed as nationality rumor quashed

January 21, 2015

Jeddah, Jan 21: The Ministry of Interior’s civil affairs department on Tuesday dashed the hopes of thousands of expats when it denied a report that had gone viral on social media sites that children born in the Kingdom to Saudi mothers and foreign fathers would be given citizenship.

“There is no truth to the report,” said Mohammed Al-Jasser, spokesman of the department that processes citizenship applications. He also denied reports that the Council of Ministers had amended the citizenship law to this effect. “All these reports are totally false,” the spokesman said.
This would disappoint many expats, especially Arabs, who were overjoyed by the report, thinking it would end their family problems.
Al-Jasser urged the public not to follow rumors and ensure the authenticity of reports before circulating them.
The video report, quoting MBC channel, said all those born in Saudi Arabia would be given citizenship when they reach puberty. Then they would be given a grace period of a year to either select Saudi citizenship or keep their original citizenship.
Some of the report’s portions had been removed to mislead public. Saudi analyst Badr Almotawa said it was unrealistic to think Saudi Arabia would liberalize citizenship regulations. “Western countries that provide citizenship to foreigners get financial benefits in terms of taxes. There is no tax in Saudi Arabia and the government provides many services such as water, electricity and oil on heavily subsidized rates,” he told Arab News. “We should be realistic when we talk about citizenship in the Kingdom. It implies so many things, such as additional economic burden and pressure on public utilities,” he said. However, Almotawa pointed out that the Kingdom had given citizenship to thousands of people in the past.
The rumor stated that men would be given citizenship immediately while women would only get identity cards, with full citizenship granted when they marry Saudis. “This measure was taken to prevent her foreign husband from benefiting from her citizenship such as opening business ventures,” the report said.
Arab News found the same report on Al-Arabiya.net, which was published on March 31, 2007 quoting Maj. Gen. Abdul Qader Kamal, a member of the Shoura Council’s security committee.
At least 10,000 foreign children are born in the Kingdom annually, the report added.
In September 2013, the Cabinet decided to give foreign mothers of Saudi children permanent residence in the Kingdom without sponsors.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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