RIYADH: The Ministry of Interior is “seriously considering” ways of resolving the status of persons born and living in the Kingdom who have not been able to obtain Saudi nationality. Abdul Rahman Al-Fada, Deputy Minister for Civil Status, told Al-Hayat Arabic daily that his office was looking at the feasibility of issuing persons often referred to as “bidoun” – “without (nationality)” – with temporary national identity cards. “The Ministry of Interior is unquestionably looking at the subject seriously and we hope to see something governing the issue produced soon,” he said. The official also said that increasing number of women in the Kingdom are applying for identity cards. “Our women's civil status offices are some of our busiest and we have added large numbers of female staff,” he said. “At the moment we have over 20 female civil status offices with over 300 Saudi women employees.” With many women reluctant to obtain identity cards as they bear the photograph of the holder, there have been suggestions that a fingerprint would suffice. “Identity cards are exactly the same for men and women, and they have both a photograph and fingerprint,” Al-Fada said. “We have Shariah Courts that have begun to make use of fingerprinting for the national identity card. It is secure and impossible to forge.”
