There have been many changes in the Kingdom since Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman ascended the throne. With a few strokes of the pen, he has ushered youth into key positions in the government. Such changes have not gone unnoticed among the nation's expatriate community, many of whom have been long-term residents of the Kingdom. One of them, Tariq Khan, a Saudi-born expatriate, penned me his views which deserve to be told in full. Heading his piece "A new change, a new hope", Tariq Khan writes:
"A new day started and before the sun rose, Royal Decrees announced a cabinet reshuffle. Our beloved Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman handed over some major positions in the Cabinet to the new generation. It is a joy to see a change, so that new policies can be put on the table! "A newspaper reported, 'Citizens Happy over New Appointments!' However, it is not only the citizens who live in the Kingdom who are happy. There are also long-term residents who have made this Kingdom their home and are happy with the new change. There are children who have never seen their home country since they opened their eyes who live in this Kingdom. Even though I am an expat, I was born here and I have lived all my life here, and I know that the political life of the Kingdom affects each and every expat. "We've lived in Saudi Arabia for a long time - nearly 40 years. My dad always tells me about the number of Kings he has seen ascend the throne and the different policies they instituted. I must say that King Salman made a wise decision in reshuffling the Cabinet. I wish the best of luck and a long healthy life for King Salman and his new ministers. But there are some changes I would love to see. "Almost 10 years ago, expatriates welcomed the amendment to the Kingdom's citizenship law which qualified foreigners who have been in the country for more than 10 years to become permanent residents and attain Saudi citizenship. But the rules were so tough that in order to become a citizen, one needed 23 points and there were no special points for people born in the Kingdom or for those who had lived in the country for more than 10 years or those who had served the Kingdom in a beneficial way. "I am hoping for a new citizenship law, not only for us expats, but also for the children of Saudi mothers married to non-Saudis who face difficulty at several stages of their life due to an identity crisis. "Rather than citizenship,what we really need is a simple residency law to enable us to continue our lives here. Permanent residency should be granted to those who deserve it. My father, for example, spent 40 years working for the Royal Saudi Air Defense in King Khalid Military City as an architectural engineer and is now retiring and faces difficulty living in the Kingdom. Sadly, he has to leave the Kingdom as there is no permanent residency option for him. However, when I looked at the laws of a neighboring GCC state, I was shocked! Bahrain welcomes expats who have served in GCC states to come and live in Bahrain as permanent residents. That is some consolation as at least my father would only be some 30 odd kilometers away rather than thousands of miles away in a country where I am a total stranger. "We all know that Saudi Arabia will be in great need of expatriates for some time. And many expatriates now not only consider Saudi Arabia to be their place of work but also their home. There are many ways that Saudis and expatriates can benefit from each other. Saudis and expatriates can join hands and continue building the country, and it would be beneficial if we could modify some of the rules that can benefit both Saudis and expatriates. "We, the children of this Kingdom, have a hope that one day we can be called citizens of this country! Long live the Kingdom, long live our King Salman! - Tariq Khan" The hopes and aspirations of Tariq Khan are echoed by thousands in similar situations. There are children born and bred on Saudi soil who know of no other place on earth to call home. It would enhance the progress of this country to integrate those eligible as legal and lawful residents without conditions other than to respect and maintain the law. Tariq Khan's words bring to mind the historical significance of Ellis Island in New York and how immigrants helped transform the United States of America into the world's greatest superpower. It's something to think about, isn't it?
— The author can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
