JEDDAH: The Ministry of Justice has put an end to the use of the Absher system in case of family disputes, at times abused by Saudi nationals married to foreigners.
According to Saudi laws, foreigners living in the Kingdom must have a Saudi sponsor if they are to be issued residency permits.
In case of married couples, the Saudi citizen used to have the right to ask for a final exit visa for his/her spouse, under his/her sponsorship, and that right would sometimes be abused out of malicious motives.
Now, under the new measure taken by the ministry, a judge is empowered to allow non-Saudi spouses to stay in the Kingdom pending the completion of the divorce case.
The new regulation is the result of a study prepared jointly by representatives of the Ministry of Justice and the General Directorate of Passports (GDP) on disputes in couples where one of the spouse is foreigner and lives under the sponsorship of the Saudi citizen.
The foreign party can now ask the court to allow him/her to stay in the Kingdom until the case is settled. At the same time, the party requiring to stay in the country has the right to give power of attorney to some third party to follow up on the case
Article 25 of the Shariah law stipulates that if, during the hearing of the case of a defendant, an order is issued for his/her deportation, the court is empowered to determine the period required to complete the case and send it to the relevant authority.
Legal advisor Abdulaziz Al-Harthi told Arab News that the ministry’s new measure is a positive step for all parties, irrespective of their nationalities.
It stops Saudi citizens from exploiting the applicable regulations in the Kingdom and from disregarding the rights of others in case of a family dispute in which they are involved, he said.
He said such cases are widely witnessed in family courts, which deal, in the great majority, 65 percent, with divorce cases of mixed couples, he said.
He stressed that the new system protects foreign spouses, whether in terms of custody of children or financial rights in case of inheritance.
It also ensures the application of Shariah in protecting people's rights and the observation of the principle of justice irrespective of one's nationality, race or gender, he said.
Al-Harthi said the electronic link between the Ministries of Justice and Interior has immensely contributed to solving many problems.
Justice Ministry ends misuse of Absher in divorce cases between mixed couples
Justice Ministry ends misuse of Absher in divorce cases between mixed couples
Prince William’s visit signals ‘importance of relationship with Saudi Arabia to UK,’ ex-envoy tells Arab News
- Simon Collis: ‘Saudi Arabia is the most significant Arab country, the most significant regional country, but it’s also a global power’
- Ties between the royal families are ‘almost 100 years old’ and run at a ‘longer wavelength than the day-to-day politics’
LONDON: Prince William’s three-day visit to Saudi Arabia this week reflects deep British interest in the “expectation of an important future” with the Kingdom, a former ambassador told Arab News on Monday.
Ties between the two royal families are “almost 100 years old, and it’s the kind of relationship that runs at a sort of deeper and longer wavelength than the day-to-day politics,” said Simon Collis, ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2020.
“Prince William’s grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, visited Saudi Arabia and hosted several of the kings of Saudi Arabia on their state visits to the UK.
“King Charles, as prince of Wales, visited Saudi Arabia many times — over a dozen times — and actually his last visit came shortly after I arrived in Riyadh as ambassador.
“When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited London in 2018, he had lunch with the queen, the late queen, and dinner, and that was at Buckingham Palace. He had dinner at Clarence House with Charles as prince of Wales, and William was there at that dinner.”
Similarities between the two heirs apparent on a personal level could also spur deeper diplomatic ties, Collis said.
“They have a lot in common: environmental interests, green energy interests, a lot of the things that have expanded in Saudi Arabia over the last 10 years in particular … as the economic transformation has moved forward under Vision 2030,” he added.
“So, areas like the core (interests), which were always there — these issues like defense, security, and energy — but what has opened up as a result of the changes in Saudi Arabia much more are other areas like education, culture, healthcare, environmental issues, heritage, sports ... all of these kind of soft power issues.”
Since King Salman assumed the throne in 2015, more than a dozen UK prime ministers and foreign secretaries have come and gone, Collis said, highlighting the “continuity” that William’s royal status can bring to the bilateral relationship.
“Links between the royal families are something special, and the fact that the prince of Wales is now visiting at the request of the British government clearly sends a signal of the importance of the relationship with Saudi Arabia to the UK,” he added.
Through a little-known government body, the Royal Visits Committee, William will have been briefed on the nature of the British-Saudi relationship, and how he can use his royal leverage to develop ties with a “priority” partner, Collis said.
“All official visits by members of the British royal family involve advice from the government about the priorities.”
The RVC meets and brings together No. 10, the Foreign Office and other relevant government departments with the staff at Buckingham Palace and the other royal households.
“They review together the countries that have been visited recently, both inward and outward visits: What are the countries that are a priority for a visit? Prince William hasn’t made a lot of these visits yet … King Charles was taking the lead on that for a long time,” Collis said.
“It’s not surprising that Saudi Arabia was seen as a priority for an early visit by Prince William as prince of Wales,” he added.
“The decision to prioritize the Kingdom for a visit reflects the overall bilateral importance to each other, the regional significance of Saudi Arabia and its position as a global player, increasingly so as Vision 2030 moves forward and as the country opens up,” Collis said.
“Saudi Arabia is the most significant Arab country, the most significant regional country, but it’s also a global power; it’s one of what people call the middle powers.
“Its views — not just on regional issues but on the global agenda, climate change, security, all of these global issues — matter.”
The pace of change in Saudi Arabia is so fast that Western observers are still playing catch-up, Collis said.
The direction of travel between the two countries means that although differences in traditions may exist, “values have certainly become closer than they were historically,” he added.
“When I arrived here (in 2015), there were religious police still on the streets, music in public places was banned and women were under the guardianship system ... The Western headline was always ‘they can’t drive.’ Women couldn’t travel, they couldn’t get a job, they couldn’t even access healthcare without the approval of a male guardian.
“Under the leadership of King Salman and of the crown prince, all of that has changed; it’s been completely transformed.”
The individual and personal nature of the visit presents an opportunity to help the two peoples develop their mutual interests, Collis said, highlighting the popularity of the UK as a destination for Saudi university students.
“You (also) see that in the growing number of British companies entering Riyadh, putting their regional headquarters in Riyadh,” he added.
“You can see that movement happening in so many ways across so many sectors. I think this visit is an opportunity to recognize, celebrate and draw attention to all of that.”
