Saudi Citizenship Granted to Select Innovators, Specialists

Saudi Arabia has granted citizenship to a select group of distinguished individuals.

A Royal Decree was issued to make certain medical doctors, entrepreneurs, innovators, researchers, scientists, and distinguished talents Saudi citizens. These people were identified because of their one-of-a-kind “competencies in religious, medical, scientific, cultural, sports, and technological fields.”

Moreover, these professionals honored with Saudi citizenship must contribute to Saudi Arabia’s different sectors, in support of the kingdom’s 2030 vision. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to establish a “diversified, innovative, and world-leading nation.”

Saudi citizenship granted to creative minds

The decree is also in line with Saudi Arabia’s objective of attracting exemplary talents who create value for the kingdom. These are in the fields of culture, economic development, health, innovation, and sports. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud also issued a similar royal decree in 2021.

The Saudi Press Agency confirmed the news in a media release on July 4, Thursday. As per the agency, the the King approved the citizenship. He is also referred to as the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques.

Saudi monarchs assume the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. As the title suggests, he is responsible for maintaining and safeguarding Saudi Arabia’s two most sacred mosques. These are the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina. In line with this, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Hajj and Umrah develops pilgrimage services.

Healthspan science and nanotechnology

According to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, American Mehmood Khan was among the selected individuals for Saudi citizenship. His contributions to the health sciences earned him the recognition.

Khan is a medical practitioner and a Fellow of London’s Royal College of Physicians and of the American College of Endocrinology. He is also the CEO of Hevolution Foundation, a global non-profit organization that offers grants and invests in healthspan science. Healthspan refers to the length of time that a person is healthy. This is in contrast to lifespan, or the length of time a person is alive.

Saudi authorities reportedly also granted Saudi citizenship to Jackie Yi-Ru Ying, an American nanotechnology scientist based in Singapore. Ying is the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore and leads its NanoBio Lab. Nanotechnology refers to the branch of science and engineering that studies and manipulates atoms.

Natural sciences and water technologies

Another professional granted honorary Saudi citizenship is Lebanese Niveen Khashab, a scientist who is the founding director of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). She has also been an Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering since 2009.

In 2023, Khashab won the Great Arab Minds Award in Natural Sciences for her contributions to chemistry, bioengineering, and biology and its applications in the medical field.

French researcher, scientist, and KAUST professor Noredinne Ghaffour also made the list of honorary Saudi citizens.

Ghaffour’s research specializes in in desalination technologies. He also has a PhD in membrane separation techniques from the University of Montpellier in France.

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