KHOR: A family of nine here have lodged an appeal with the Riyadh Emirate calling for the reinstatement of their Saudi citizenship which they claim was withdrawn by a local tribal chief 28 years ago. In their complaint the family claimed that their father's national identity card was canceled after a dispute with the tribal chief. Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, the eldest son, Hussein Al-Belwai, who is 30 years old, said they belonged to the tribe in Tabuk. He said his father and the tribal chief differed over a girl's marriage and in retaliation the tribal chief allegedly told his officials that his father was not a citizen. The tribal chief drew up a letter saying his father did not belong to the tribe. An official order was then issued stripping the family of their Saudi citizenship, claimed Al-Belwai. He said all his relatives are Saudi citizens and enjoy all the privileges conferred on them by the law. He said the tribal chief had passed a “cruel and unjust judgment” forcing his father to live as an exile in Jordan where he died a few months ago. He said the rest of the family have remained all this time in the Kingdom and were deprived of seeing their father. They had no official documents which allowed them to travel. Also, they were afraid they would be deported to another country. Al-Belwai claimed that his mother was also stripped of her Saudi citizenship although all his brothers and sister have Saudi birth certificates. This had deprived them of basic rights such as education, health care and social security. “We have lived in our country as refugees,” he said. He made a plea to officials to help his family, including his mother, 65, sister, 32, his two brothers Saad, 24, and Shareef, 35. He said the authorities at the Riyadh Emirate have already received the family's complaint.
