Saudi Arabia announced it has granted citizenship to over 50,000 people along with their families, the deputy president of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Abdul Aziz Al-Khayal, revealed last week.
During his speech at the 70th session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner's for Refugee Program in Geneva, Al-Khayal explained that the issuance of citizenship took place after the individuals moved to Saudi Arabia fleeing political, economic, and social turmoil in their home countries.
The kingdom is also said to have issued IDs for more than 800,000 displaced people who were living in the kingdom without any legal documents.
"The government measure enabled them to move, work, get education and healthcare and they have been exempted from all fees and fines," Al-Khayal said.
Saudi Arabia's participation in the three-day UN event - which focused on the plight of "Stateless Persons" - reflected its adamance about providing solutions to people escaping devastating situations.
The socio-economic and political changes taking place in some countries led to the mass migration of their nationals to Saudi Arabia, according to Al-Khayal.
"The kingdom took measures and efforts on humanitarian ground to serve these groups and provide them with all the requirements of a decent life while ensuring their basic rights," he explained.
He also stressed that the country "deals with these groups in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Islamic religion which calls for love, peace and brotherhood, and is keen to provide relief and help for those in need, in accordance with the humanitarian principles established by all international conventions and treaties."
News of the kingdom granting citizenship to thousands comes just two years after it was criticized for giving nationality to robot Sophia at a time when it was hosting around 250,000 stateless people.