Saudi Arabia to regularise status of Yemenis staying illegally in Kingdom

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will begin procedures to regularise the status of all Yemeni nationals staying in the Kingdom illegally, following a directive from King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Interior Ministry said.

The directive was issued in response to a request from Dr Rashad Mohammed Al Alimi, Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.

The Interior Ministry said it would begin the regularisation process in coordination with the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Human Resources and Social Development, as well as the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

The ministry said the measure was an extension of Saudi Arabia’s continued support and fraternal stance towards the Yemeni people.

Yemeni nationals seeking to benefit from the status adjustment must hold a valid Yemeni passport, the ministry said.

The date for the start of the procedures, along with the rules and requirements governing the process, will be announced through the official accounts of the General Directorate of Passports and other relevant authorities.

The ministry did not specify how long the regularisation period would run or provide further details on the categories of residency status that would be covered.