Saudi Arabia’s landmark decision to grant citizenship to high-skilled foreign professionals is aimed at picking those having the best, most beneficial and useful expertise and distinguished talent so as to contribute to achieve the nation’s ambitious goals and developmental needs, Saudi Gazette has learned from well informed sources. Granting citizenship to a limited number of such personnel will be through nomination based purely on public interest and there won’t be any option to submit applications, the sources pointed out. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has approved granting the Saudi citizenship to selected number of expatriates with distinguished talents, unique expertise and specialized skills in a number of key professions. According to a royal decree issued on Thursday, certain high-skilled expatriate professionals working in specialized areas within the legal, medical, scientific, technological, cultural and sport fields will be granted citizenship. This will facilitate these professionals to contribute vigorously to the nation’s development march and initiatives to diversify its sources of income and spurring its robust economic growth. The great initiative is aimed at supporting to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goal to create an environment that enables attracting, investing in and retaining professionals with exceptional creativity and talent. The initiative emanates from the wise leadership’s ambitious drive to attract top world-class professionals to vital sectors such as medicine, industry, energy, agriculture, geology, space, aviation, artificial intelligence, the Internet of things and others in the disciplines required to attract their competencies. Saudi Arabia needs such top standard professions to supervise the Kingdom’s development march in those vital areas where it wants to achieve and consolidate its leadership and expertise par excellence. Saudi Arabia embarks on another remarkable reform that provides added value to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 after successfully introducing the Premier Residency system that has been instrumental in attracting large number of affluent foreign people, including investors and owners of capital. Under the Vision, the Kingdom is ambitious to have naturalized competencies with the support of highly talented and skilled professionals from around the world to help it proceed vigorously with the largest ever development drive in the entire Middle East region. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, the sources drew attention to the fact that Saudi Arabia is following a unique example of several highly advanced and developed countries. It has been learnt that a small number of foreign nationals will be granted citizenship and it will not have any adverse impact on the competitiveness of the highly skilled Saudi citizens in the local employment market. The move does not at all underestimate the importance of national competencies, and it is simply a global practice being followed in the most developed and advanced countries. It is noteworthy that all countries of the world, including industrialized and developed countries, which aspire to achieve their vision and comprehensive development strategy, open their doors to attract talent according to a specific policy, through which they attract unique, creative and innovative foreign hands, who can contribute to the country’s robust growth and all round development. Attracting Saudi talent is an important step to achieve the goals of Vision 2030 by benefiting from highly skilled professionals from around the world in order to contribute to the largest development projects in the region. Countries, including developed countries, are looking for highly creative and distinguished people, even if they are located in the farthest corners of the world, because they realize the importance of minds in contributing to scientific, technical and research progress and advancement, the sources added.