Saudi Arabia mulls permanent residency for expatriates

April 6, 2016

Manama, Apr 6: Saudi Arabia could introduce a system for its millions of expatriates that would be similar to the Green Card system in the US.

expatriatesThe inclination, announced by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud in an interview with Bloomberg, would help the kingdom generate new revenues for the national economy.

No details were given by Prince Mohammad, but with around nine million foreigners living in the vast kingdom, making up one third of the total population, the system would be a source for the country as it seeks to implement an ambitious package of new reforms and measures that will considerably improve its non-oil revenues and “raise at least an extra $100 billion a year by 2020, more than tripling non-oil income and balancing the budget.”

“It's a large package of programmes that aims to restructure some revenue-generating sectors,” Prince Mohammad told Bloomberg.

The emulation of the American Green Card system would be alongside more steps to restructure subsidies and the imposition of a value-added tax and a levy on energy and sugary drinks as well as luxury items, the deputy crown prince reportedly said.

Most of the foreigners in Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirate – are Asians, mainly unskilled workers in the booming building and service sectors.

In his interview, Prince Mohammad expressed optimism the new measures would reinforce the government's drive to reduce reliance on oil and to boost non-oil revenues.

“We did a quick fix in 2015 which increased our non-oil revenue by 35 per cent,” he said. “This year, we are trying to target over $25 billion. I believe we will succeed in achieving more than $10 billion in non-oil revenue in 2016.”

With the dramatic slump of oil prices, the GCC countries have been looking at viable options to generate non-oil sources and reduce threats to fiscal stability and sustainability.

Experts believe that hydrocarbon exports represent more than 80 per cent of the total revenue in the GCC countries where taxation is almost absent.

The main non-oil revenue base in the GCC states currently includes customs duties and fees and charges.

Bahrain, the first GCC country to discover oil in 1932, has been leading the way in the diversification of non-oil resources.

Comments

Naren kotian
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Hahaha viren ..namge beda aa wahabi rashtra ..muzzies here in this column please note yelli yenne sigalvo ..yelli dance bars or disco theck ilvo ...antha rashtra kke banni makla full citizenship kodthivi andru ..beda milk shake mama neene itko beda andu bidteevi ...we are well aware soon saud family will collapse ...Isis is already making deep inroads into Saudi ...they have the weakest army in the world .this program will encourage Indo pakis who are in very large No's in India .no non Muslims will take PR for sure .as per IMF due to decline in oil revenues for the first time they are reeling into debt. Haha..soon it will create more problem as they don't have alternate non oil source ..milk shakes ge bere field nalli ashtu talent saha illa. ..

KhasaiKhaane
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Hahahahah... So Non-Muslims also want green card in Saudi? Check if you can avail one, but make sure you don't worship Camel Maatha,..!
There are other disadvantages though;
- No Riots
- No Photoshop
- No Love Jihad issue.
- No Moral policing
- No Lynching
- No Alchohol/Drugs
- No Pornography
- No Rapes
Are you sure you chaddis will be able to survive without all this?

DEAR VIREN
 - 
Thursday, 7 Apr 2016

Just study QURAN, YOU will understand Y u feel grudge against MUSLIMS...
Our CREATOR speaks about the CREATION & also he Warns us about Y grudge, Jealousy, Sin, hate, crime, DECEPTION & other Evils come from... and ROOT it comes from.
Animals live their way and Man was created by ALLAH with intelligence... Sometimes Use your intelligence to know what our CREATOR speaks... and dont live like the animals.

mohammad.n
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren why do u need now muslim country green card?

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren...say Bharat Mata ki jai n enjoy your stay here..why worried about green card

Owaisi
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

@ Viren Kotian 100% only for Muslims and should accept Saudi Arabia Islamic Rules with respect

Riyaz
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Viren Kotiyaaan
Why are you intrested in the permanent residence of KSA. you should be happy in india with the chaddies ruling you. And by the way not everyone in the world is like you and your chadii rulers. there are people who look for the Human attributes in human beings not only religion . thats why there are many RSS chaddies who earn in saudi and send the money to their families in india.

mangalorean
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

I think for you spcially we will recommend govt to get red card to ban saudi arabia

Viren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016

Only for muslims or non muslims also will get green card?

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News Network
January 22,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 22: Three alleged Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in India were apprehended in Karnataka's Bengaluru district, police said on Wednesday.

The arrested are identified as Mohammed Lokman (55), his wife Jasmin Begun (35) and son Raasel (22) are natives of Boresel village in Pirojpur district in Bangladesh.

According to police, they were staying at a camp at Munnekolala village.

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News Network
April 25,2020

Mandya, Apr 25: An FIR was registered against JD(S) MLC KT Srikante Gowda, his son, and three others for protesting against coronavirus testing of journalists in Karnataka's Mandya city on Saturday.

According to the police, JD(S) MLC KT Srikante Gowda, his son Krishik Gowda, Chandrakala Aythu, Jagadish, and Raju have been named as accused in the FIR filed at Mandya West police station.

The FIR has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Disaster Management Act including unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, negligent act likely to spread infection of a deadly disease, etc.

Gowda, along with a group of locals, had created a ruckus objecting to the coronavirus testing of journalists at Ambedkar Bhawan in Mandya here earlier today.

Police said that a journalists' association had filed a written complaint seeking the registration of an FIR in the matter.

As per an order by the state health department, medical professionals were conducting health tests of journalists at Ambedkar Bhawan in Mandya when Gowda along with some locals started protesting, officials said.

Further actions are being taken, police said.

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News Network
June 4,2020

New Delhi, Jun 4: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought response from Prajwal Revanna, the grandson of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, on a plea challenging his election in 2019 from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency as a joint candidate of the Janata Dal Secular and the Congress.

A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and Hrishiksh Roy issued notice to the returned candidate from the high-profile constituency on an appeal challenging the Karnataka High Court's order by which an election petition against his win was dismissed.

In the proceedings held through video-conferencing, the top court issued notice and tagged the appeal filed by G Devarajegowda for hearing with other similar pending plea filed by the BJP candidate on the issue.

Mr Devarajegowda in the plea said that his election petition was dismissed by the High Court on "procedural irregularities". The plea said that Mr Prajwal had resorted to unfair and corrupt practices and his election should be set aside.

It said the High Court did not consider the fact that by dismissing the election petition, it was running a risk of having a representative in parliament who has not got the maximum number of valid votes.

The petitioner, an advocate by profession, sought a declaration of rival BJP candidate, A Manju, as the winner for having secured the maximum number of valid votes.

A separate appeal was earlier filed by Mr Manju against the High Court order and the top court had already issued notice to the retuned candidate on that.

Mr Manju had challenged the 2019 election of Mr Prajwal on the ground that there was allegedly non-disclosure of assets held by him in his election affidavit.

Mr Prajwal was declared winner with 6,76,606 votes. Mr Manju came first runner-up with 5,35,282 votes.

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