Saudi Arabia to Legalise Residency Status for Undocumented Yemenis Following Presidential Request

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will launch procedures to legalise the residency status of Yemenis currently living in the kingdom without proper authority. The decision follows a formal request submitted by Rashad Al Alimi, the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, and was ordered by King Salman, according to a statement from the Saudi Interior Ministry.

The announcement comes just a day after Mr Al Alimi declared an all-out war against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia hosts an estimated 1.9 million Yemenis and accounts for roughly 62 per cent of remittances sent back to Yemen, cementing its status as the most crucial source of income for Yemenis abroad. Granting legal status is expected to provide irregular residents with improved access to formal employment and financial services, facilitating easier money transfers to relatives in Yemen while strengthening ties with the kingdom.

The Saudi Interior Ministry stated that the legalisation process will be coordinated alongside the Foreign Ministry, the Human Resources Ministry, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority. Yemeni nationals wishing to take advantage of the measure must possess a valid Yemeni passport. Specific dates and regulations will be announced through official channels managed by the General Directorate of Passports and other related agencies.

Ahmed Obaid bin Dagher, chairman of Yemen’s Shura Council, warmly welcomed the decision, stating it would greatly benefit thousands of Yemenis and their families. He expressed deep gratitude to the kingdom for its fraternal and humanitarian gesture, describing it as proof of Saudi Arabia's steadfast commitment to supporting the Yemeni people during ongoing hardships.

This policy shift coincides with nationwide enforcement campaigns by Saudi authorities targeting violations of residency, labour, and border-security regulations. Between September 24 and 30, authorities recorded 11,819 such violations, which included 5,793 residency infractions. The new regularisation initiative mirrors a comparable programme first launched in 2015 at the outset of the kingdom's intervention in Yemen.