Children born to expats who married Saudi mothers get ‘equal rights’

Riyadh: Children born to expatriates who have married Saudi women will be treated as Saudis for work, education and medical purposes, Sulaiman Al Yahya, director-general of Saudi Arabia’s passports department said.

They can also reside in the country and will be allowed to work in the private sector without transferring their residency permits, Saudi media reported on Thursday.

The statement was issued after several half-Saudis, especially girls on their mother’s sponsorship, expressed fear of deportation following the death of their mothers, the report said.

“These privileges are contingent upon the approval of the original marriage contract and the children being in possession of IDs,” Al Yahya was quoted as saying.

“This decision comes in accordance with a decree issued by the council of ministers in 2012,” he said.

“Expatriates children who had transferred their sponsorships onto their mothers following this decision and before their mother’s death will be treated as Saudis,” he said.

“Expatriates who had not transferred their sponsorships before their mother’s death will, however, remain under the sponsorship of their companies until a decision is issued by a jurisdictive body,” he added.

Half-Saudis are also included in nationalisation quotas in the private sector. Expatriates married to Saudi women can also reside in the country on their wives’ sponsorship provided the original marriage contract had been approved by local authorities, the report said.