Exciting News Has Just Come In That Saudi Women May Be Allowed To Pass On Their Citizenship To Their Children

The continuous string of landmark reforms that have taken place over the last year seems no sign of stopping as news has come in that another major reform may be around the corner.

According to Gulf News, the shoura council has approved a “study” of two proposals that call for changes in the citizenship law and allow children of Saudi women to get Saudi nationality.

These proposals were initially submitted in the previous term but have gained traction only this time around when two members of the council took up the case.

On Tuesday, an intense debate took place during the council session at the end of which 63 members voted in favor of the changes.

Here are some of the most noteworthy comments that took place when the matter was raised.

Fahd Al Enezi, a legal expert, was opposed to the changes as he said: “Children must be attributed to their fathers, not to their mothers as is clearly stated in our religion.” He adds “A Saudi woman has the option to marry a non-Saudi. It is her choice. However, the citizenship is not her option and she is aware that her children will not obtain the Saudi citizenship.”

Another council member who was also opposed to the study was Mohammad Al Ali. “Saudi Arabia is basically a desert nation and the quantity of water is limited,” said Al Ali.

Iqbal Dandari, however, was in full support of the amendment proposals as she said “True faith is to be fair to all people. There are children born here in Saudi Arabia to Saudi mothers. They grew up here and they know no other land. Where will they go if they do not have the citizenship?”

Noura Al Musaad also called for a need for the amendments. “Most countries across the world allow mothers to pass on their citizenship to their children,” she noted. “What we now have is a form of discrimination.”

The first step towards the changes has taken place, the decision has now headed to the security committee who will evaluate the decision of the shoura council and submit a final report that would be raised in the council again on a later stage.