Saudi Arabia has issued a Royal decree to grant citizenship to a select group of distinguished global talents, including scientists, medical doctors, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Thursday.

This initiative aligns with the Kingdom's strategy to attract exceptional talents in religious, medical, scientific, cultural, sports, and technological fields, supporting Vision 2030’s goal of fostering an environment that nurtures and invests in creative minds.

This decree continues the Kingdom’s efforts to bring in prominent talents who contribute significantly to economic development, health, culture, sports, and innovation.

A similar Royal decree in 2021 granted Saudi citizenship to the first group of distinguished talents in these areas.

Asharq Al-Awsat highlighted several notable individuals granted Saudi citizenship under the recent decree. Among them is Mehmood Khan, an American CEO of the Hevolution Foundation, recognized for his contributions to health sciences.

Jackie Yi-Ru Ying, an American scientist of Singaporean origin, was also granted Saudi citizenship. Ying was the founding Executive Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore and currently leads the NanoBio Lab.

Lebanese scientist Niveen Khashab received Saudi citizenship for her advanced expertise in bioengineering and nanomaterials. Khashab, a founding member of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), has been an Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering there since 2009.

French scientist Noreddine Ghaffour, recognized for his expertise in environmental science and engineering, particularly desalination technologies, also received Saudi citizenship. Holding a PhD in membrane separation techniques from the University of Montpellier, Ghaffour is a Professor at KAUST.