MAKKAH — A Saudi woman cannot transfer her three daughters to her sponsorship due to a series of fines accumulated over time because their frail Yemeni father did not renew their iqamas. Their 80-year-old father has been immobile for the past 15 years, during which time he could not renew his children's iqamas. The girls were jubilant over the government directive allowing the children of Saudi women married to non-Saudis to transfer their sponsorships to their mothers. However, their happiness was short-lived. The passport office told these girls that they could not transfer their sponsorships until they pay the fines for not getting their residency permits renewed for 15 years. The fines amounted to SR40,000, which the poor girls, who live on charity from philanthropists, definitely cannot afford. The eldest daughter said she graduated from secondary school 14 years ago but her two sisters cannot continue their education because the schools will not hand them certificates as their iqamas have expired. They cannot work or visit hospitals because they are apprehensive they may be detained for violation of residency regulations. A source at the Passport Department told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that a Council of Minsters directive has dealt with problems of this nature. The directive states that children born to a Saudi mother and a non-Saudi father are issued iqamas under their mother's sponsorship. If they are outside the country, their mother has the right to bring them to live with her in the Kingdom. The government will bear the iqama costs and the children are allowed to work without the need to transfer their sponsorship to the employer. Children of Saudi women are treated as Saudis in schools and hospitals, and they are counted as Saudis for the purposes of the Nitaqat Saudization quotas. A Saudi woman may also bring her non-Saudi husband into the Kingdom and may transfer his iqama to her sponsorship. The directive also states that the marriage contract of a Saudi woman to a non-Saudi should be authenticated and that her children should have documents to prove their identity. Saudi authorities have set a July 3 deadline for residents who do not have valid residency permits to legalize their stay or leave the country without facing penalties.
