Saudi women married to foreigners get family ID cards

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Status Department has started issuing family ID cards to divorced Saudi women, widows and Saudi women married to foreigners.

The new policy falls in line with the directive of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, to help them manage family affairs without approval from a male guardian or a court order.

Muhammad Bin Jasser Al-Jasser, spokesman of the department, said this directive will guarantee the rights of Saudi women married to foreigners and ease all the procedures.

“The new decision will enable these women to get an official document containing all the details of their dependents. The new card will not carry the photo of the woman. It will only have names of dependents whose names were recorded with the department. Issuance of Saudi ID card is the basic condition for obtaining family card,” he said.

The issuance of the card will be made after having a scheduled appointment on the website of the Civil Status.

The Saudi Crown Prince’s new directive will help solve a lot of problems faced by divorcees, widows and Saudi women married to foreigners with regard to completing office procedures in their day to day life as well as for education, employment, and other such issues pertaining to their children.

Saudi children born to foreign fathers are able to study in government schools and universities, but they won’t be allowed to enroll in the King’s foreign scholarship program.

This article first appeared in the Saudi Gazette on Jan. 26, 2016.