RIYADH, Oct 20: The Saudi cabinet has approved amendments to the naturalization law which toughen requirements for permanent residents applying for citizenship while setting new rules for foreign spouses of Saudis , a statement issued after a weekly cabinet meeting said on Tuesday.

The amendments to the nearly 50-year-old legislation, which were proposed by the Shoura Council in May, require a resident to have lived permanently in Saudi Arabia for 10 years before qualifying to apply for citizenship under certain conditions. This doubles the previous requirement of five years of permanent residence.

The applicant must also have a profession "which the country needs", according to the amendments approved during an overnight cabinet meeting chaired by King Fahd and reported by the state SPA news agency.

An applicant "born in the kingdom to a foreign mother and unknown father" is exempted from the latest condition.

The amended law also extends the period during which a naturalized Saudi can be stripped of his or her citizenship from five to 10 years, if convicted of a crime "that breaches trust or honour", or undermines the kingdom's security.

According to the latest official figure, given by Labour Minister Ghazi al-Gosaibi, expatriates living in oil-rich Saudi Arabia now number 8.8 million. This compares to an indigenous population of about 17 million.

The huge number of foreign residents, the bulk of whom are Asian, is believed to be the reason behind the toughening of naturalization rules for residents.

The amendments set a series of rules for mixed couples, including giving Saudi women the choice to keep their citizenship or acquire that of a Saudi husband who acquires another citizenship.

Underage children, however, might lose their Saudi citizenship, depending on the requirements of the father's new nationality, but can recover it after they become 18.

The wife of a naturalized Saudi will now be able to acquire Saudi citizenship if she resides in the country and gives up her original nationality.

Children of a naturalized Saudi become citizens if they are underage and reside in the country, but can choose to revert to their father's original nationality within a year of coming of age.

A Saudi woman who marries a foreigner will only lose her citizenship if she chooses to acquire her husband's nationality.

The foreign wife or widow of a Saudi will qualify for citizenship if she gives up her original nationality.

Saudi Arabia does not allow dual nationality, and the amended law will apparently make it more difficult to get around the ban.