Saudi Arabia: Description of a birth certificate; citizenship of Saudi women married to foreigners

The following is a description and translation of the details of a Saudi birth certificate. The translation has been verified by an Arabic translator at the Multilingual Translation Directorate of Public Works and Government Services Canada (2 Jan. 2001).

Inside the rectangular frame, beneath the words "Birth Certificate" which appear just above the rectangular frame and within parentheses, the birth certificate features a number of printed words indicating information to be filled in about the newborn child and his or her parents. The information is to be filled in on dotted lines beside the printed words. These printed words are organized in eleven lines that go all the way across the page (the page is not divided into two columns, despite appearances to the contrary). Starting at the upper right-hand corner (because Arabic is written from right to left), the printed words are as follows:

Line 1: NAME OF THE NEWBORN: (dotted line to the middle of the page). THE SURNAME: (dotted line) SEX OF THE NEWBORN (dotted line to the end of the page)

Line 2: PLACE OF BIRTH: (dotted line to the end of the page).

Line 3: DATE OF BIRTH IN HIJRI [i.e. the year according to the Islamic calendar] AND IN NUMBERS: (dotted line) THE HOUR: (dotted line) THE DAY: (dotted line) THE MONTH: (dotted line) THE YEAR: (dotted line) HIJRI [i.e. A.H.].

Line 4: DATE OF BIRTH IN HIJRI AND IN LETTERS: (dotted line) THE HOUR: (dotted line) THE DAY: (dotted line) THE MONTH: (dotted line) THE YEAR (dotted line) HIJRI.

Line 5: DATE OF BIRTH IN MILADI [i.e. the year according to the Christian calendar] AND IN LETTERS: (dotted line) THE HOUR: (dotted line) THE DAY: (dotted line) THE MONTH: (dotted line) THE YEAR: (dotted line) MILADI [i.e. A.D.]

Line 6: NAME OF THE FATHER: (dotted line) GRANDFATHER OF THE NEWBORN: (dotted line) SURNAME: (dotted line) HIS RELIGION: (dotted line) HIS OCCUPATION: (dotted line)

Line 7: NATIONALITY OF THE FATHER: (dotted line) ACCORDING TO IDENTITY CARD [hafeezat an-nufus] NUMBER: (dotted line) AND DATE (space, divided by two diagonal slashes) H [for hijri] AND PLACE OF ISSUE: (dotted line)

Line 8: [preceded by an indentation] FOR A MALE FOREIGNER [one word: – lil-ajnabi – which appears within parentheses] ACCORDING TO PASSPORT NUMBER: (dotted line) AND DATE (space, divided by two diagonal slashes) AND PLACE OF ISSUE: (dotted line)

Line 9: NAME OF THE MOTHER: (dotted line) HER FATHER: (dotted line) THE SURNAME: (dotted line) HER RELIGION: (dotted line) HER OCCUPATION: (dotted line)

Line 10: HER NATIONALITY: (dotted line) ACCORDING TO IDENTITY CARD [hafeezat an-nufus] NUMBER: (dotted line) AND DATE (space, divided by two diagonal slashes) H [for hijri] AND PLACE OF ISSUE: (dotted line) H

Line 11: (preceded by an indentation) FOR A FEMALE FOREIGNER [one word: – lil-ajnabiyyah – which appears within parentheses] PASSPORT NUMBER: (dotted line) AND DATE (space, divided by two diagonal slashes) M (for miladi) AND PLACE OF ISSUE: (dotted line)

The twelfth line provides information about the legal basis for the birth certificate, and beneath the twelfth line there are dotted lines for the names and signatures of the person who writes the certificate and the responsible official.

It would appear on the basis of the above that the line that begins "FOR A MALE FOREIGNER" (line 8), immediately under the line that begins "NATIONALITY OF THE FATHER" (line 7) is meant to provide information on the father's passport in the event that the father is a foreigner, i.e. not a national of Saudi Arabia. Similarly, it would appear that the line beginning "FOR A FEMALE FOREIGNER" (line 11) is meant to provide information on the mother's passport in the event that the mother is a foreigner, i.e. not a national of Saudi Arabia.

Note that on the document that the Research Directorate has been shown, of which line 7 indicates that the father is not a Saudi national, the dotted lines on line 8 (which begins, "FOR A MALE FOREIGNER") are filled in. Moreover, line 10 of that same document indicates that the nationality of the mother is a Saudi national, and the dotted lines on the following line, line 11 (which begins "FOR A FEMALE FOREIGNER") are left blank. In addition, on line 7, where it is indicated at the beginning that the father is not a Saudi national, the dotted lines on the rest of the line, which contains headings for information about a Saudi identity card (hafeezat an-nufus) are left blank; and on line 10, where it is indicated at the beginning that the mother is a Saudi national, one of the dotted lines on the rest of the line, which contains headings for information about a Saudi identity card is filled in.

Thus it would appear that the birth certificate in question has been designed in such a way as to provide a record of documentary evidence of the identity of each of the newborn child's parents. This documentary evidence is a Saudi identity card in the case of a parent who is a Saudi national, and a passport in the case of a parent who is not a Saudi national.

Regarding the status of a Saudi woman who marries a foreign man, Article 17 of the Saudi Arabian Citizenship Regulations states the following:

Subject to sections 132 and 133 of the Legal Proceedings Regulations, a Saudi Arabian woman who marries an alien shall not lose her citizenship, except where, upon being granted permission to leave the Kingdom with her husband (in accordance with statutory requirements), she declares that she has decided to adopt her husband's citizenship, and in due course does acquire that citizenship in accordance with the applicable laws. (Saudi Arabia 20 Oct. 1954)

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Multilingual Translation Directorate, Public Works and Government Services Canada. 2 January 2001. Letter from a translator.

Saudi Arabia. 20 October 1954. "Saudi Arabian Citizenship Regulations." Translated by the Department of Secretary of State of Canada, Multilingual Translation Directorate.