http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=117527&d=26&m=12&y=2008
Friday 26 December 2008 (28 Dhul Hijjah 1429)
Foreign women married to Saudis abuse the system
Hassna'a Mokhtar | Arab News
JEDDAH: A group of sociologists and a lawyer are currently studying the
issue of non-Saudi women who marry Saudis and apply for divorce after obtaining
Saudi citizenship.
Wail Joharji, 36, a lawyer and legal consultant, believes foreign women
divorce their Saudi husbands as soon as they get citizenship for many reasons,
which include their eligibility to claim social security, the right to take
substantial business loans from the Centennial Fund or the Saudi Credit and
Saving Bank, and the opportunity to marry non-Saudis who wish to have a Saudi
sponsor to run businesses in the Kingdom.
"Divorce harms women and children. We have to maintain a smooth and just
mechanism for marriage and divorce, leaving no loopholes for anyone to abuse
the system. There is a percentage of foreign women, especially those born and
raised in the Kingdom, who marry Saudis with the intention of only claiming
Saudi nationality," said Joharji.
He added that the study is in the interest of Saudi society in general
and those children who are affected by such divorces in particular.
"We're not against men or women. We're against people abusing the system
to serve their own twisted purposes," said Joharji.
The lawyer spoke about a non-Saudi woman who married a Saudi and bore two
children. Three months after obtaining Saudi citizenship, the woman applied for
divorce creating much hatred and confusion in the family.
"For many, life isn't financially easy anymore. Some foreign women might
agree to marry Saudis with very few demands and just the citizenship in mind.
We all know that the rate of divorce is high in Saudi Arabia, but this doesn't
justify what some non-Saudi women are doing," said Joharji.
He further deliberated on the case of a non-Saudi woman who married a
Saudi man with special needs for only half a Saudi riyal in dowry. After giving
birth to a girl and obtaining Saudi citizenship, the woman applied for divorce.
By that time, the woman had also established her own business.
"These type of marriages are done for a certain purpose and they occur a
lot in western Saudi Arabia. The rate of divorce in such cases is 3 to 4 out of
every 10 marriages," he added.
When is a foreign wife eligible for citizenship
The minister of interior can grant citizenship to the foreign wife of a
Saudi as long as the following conditions are met:
? The marriage is legal
? The woman renounces her original nationality before a notary
? The marriage is according to the statutory regulations
of a marriage between a Saudi citizen and a foreigner
? The woman signs an affidavit that she has never been convicted
? Concerned authorities have no reservation about the woman
? The woman is resident in the Kingdom
? The couple are married for at least five years
Applicants who do not fulfill these conditions may be considered for
citizenship if some or all of the following conditions apply:
? The couple have been married for four years and
have no children, and one or more of the following conditions apply:
? One of the woman's brothers or sisters is Saudi
? The woman was born in the Kingdom to foreign parents
? The woman is a relative of her husband
? The husband is a professional, such as doctor or engineer
? The couple's age difference is less than five years
? The couple have been married for three years and one or more of the
following conditions apply:
? The couple do not have children and the woman has more than one Saudi
brother or sister
? The couple have one child and the woman does not have any Saudi
relatives
? The couple have been married for two years without children and the
woman's mother is Saudi.
? The couple have been married for one year and have one child, and one
or more of the following conditions apply:
? One of the woman's brothers or sisters is Saudi
? The woman was born in the Kingdom to foreign parents
? The husband is relative of the woman
? The husband is a professional, such as doctor or engineer
? The couple's age difference is less than five years.
? The marriage duration may be considered if some or all of the following
conditions apply:
? The woman's father is a naturalized Saudi
? The couple have more than one child
? The couple have one child and the woman's mother is Saudi
? The couple have one child and the woman has more than one Saudi brother
or sister
? The woman was born in the Kingdom
