Published in Dawn on July 05, 2024
Saudi Arabia has approved granting Saudi citizenship to scientists, doctors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and other individuals with rare skills, experience, and specializations.
According to a royal decree, the kingdom has offered citizenship to talented individuals in medical, scientific, cultural, sports, and technical fields to achieve its goals. The initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme to create an attractive environment for investing in human capital and attracting skilled labour.
This move is expected to help bolster the kingdom’s economic, health, cultural, sports, and innovation sectors by bringing in prominent experts and specialists.
In December 2021, Saudi leadership approved a similar initiative, granting citizenship to prominent individuals in these fields. This ongoing effort has underscored the kingdom’s commitment to enhancing its development across various sectors by leveraging global expertise.
In November 2023, Pakistan signed agreements with Saudi companies to bolster collaboration and facilitate the recruitment of Pakistani workers and professionals for various large-scale projects in Saudi Arabia.
The agreements outlined plans to establish training and orientation centres in Pakistan, which would cater to the skill development needs aligned with the demands of labour markets in Saudi Arabia.