Riyadh: The Saudi authorities have reportedly put a cap on the number of talented people to be naturalised annually.
According to online newspaper Sabq, a maximum of 300 distinguished foreigners in targeted domains would get the Saudi passport and allowed to live in the country.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has reportedly issued a royal order allowing the naturalisation of competent medical, scientific, cultural, sports and technical foreigners.
The royal order which was issued about two months ago, serves the national interest by attracting gifted scientists, thinkers and specialised and creative people.
King Salman ordered the authorities to nominate eligible candidates from all over the world to be granted Saudi passports, including tribesmen who emigrated to Saudi, the children of Saudi women, and those born in Saudi Arabia and meet the naturalisation criteria.
The naturalisation move targets competent religious scholars, people specialised in medicine, pharmaceuticals, mathematics, computing, technology, agriculture, nuclear and renewable energy, oil and gas.
The step will also benefit those competences specialised in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, nanotechnology, environment, geology, space sciences and aeronautics, in addition to gifted people who excel in the fields of culture, sports and arts and all other fields which contribute to support Saudi competences, and transfer of modern knowledge.