Children born to unknown parents in Saudi Arabia will now be considered citizens, the kingdom's Human Rights Commission announced on Wednesday.
The changes mean these children will have the same rights as any other Saudi citizen, with access to all health care, education and future employment benefits that come with it.
Currently more than 12,000 Saudi families foster children born to unknown parents, according to Dr Sarah Al Abdulkarim, a member of the council of the Human Rights Commission.
The children are visited by specialists periodically to check on their development.
The announcement was welcomed by the public, including orphanages and child care centres.
"I am so happy that these children will have a promising and bright future," Jamila, a 45-year-old Saudi caretaker in Jeddah told The National.
“We had over 30 children under the age of 12 and now, we only have five. We usually have mothers coming in to inquire about sponsoring children, even though they have children of their own. It says a lot about our culture and society, especially because in Islam the act of kindness towards an orphan is greatly admired,” she added.
Saudi law stipulates if an abandoned child is found, the first step is to identify and locate the parents of the child. If unsuccessful, a foster family is assigned. The family is selected based on an agreement signed by the foundation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Development.
The Al Wedad Charity Foundation, an organisation that takes care of orphans and children with unknown parents, said more than 500 children are found abandoned in the Kingdom each year.
Rawan Alsharif, a 35-year-old Saudi volunteer at a Jeddah care-centre said the change in legislation represents progress for society and the nation at large.
“This is the first time we are seeing change of this magnitude, which embraces every section of society,” Mrs Alsharif said.
"This is a great act of kindness that shows our leadership cares about children who have been abandoned due to no fault of their own and now their future is secure. This gives them rights and a chance to be a part of this great nation," she added.
Umm Omar, the adoptive mother of a child abandoned in the streets of Jeddah as a baby, said the changes made her feel proud to be Saudi.
“Maybe their parents had to leave the country due to financial reasons or are illegal immigrants who get caught and deported,” she said.
When authorities couldn’t find the baby’s family, Umm Omar, 50, and her husband were assessed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. Omar came to live with them at just a few months old. He is now 6.
“My heart broke for the other children but now, after I heard the news that the State will take responsibility for all those who were abandoned, my heart is overjoyed and I feel so much at peace as a mother and so proud to be a Saudi,” said Umm Omar.
Last year, Ahmed Al Rajhi, Minister of Labour and Social Development said the ministry planned to increase the number of foster families who can take care of orphaned children.
Ultimately, the plan was to shut down all orphan care centres.
Almost 8,700 families have adopted children in 2020. Officials reported a rise in the number of orphan care applications as 3,000 from all over the Kingdom.
The ministry launched the Family Foster Care Programme as part of Vision 2030.
Khalid Aba Al Khail, a ministry spokesman, said placing an orphan in a shelter house is a last option for the ministry, stressing that the new programme aims to place orphans with families that can provide them with suitable care and an environment is safe and conducive to psychological development.
The government further provides all foster families with full financial support such as monthly allowances for the child's care.
Families wishing to adopt orphans can register online.
A family should take care of the orphan and treat them as their child in spending, charity, education and all affairs until they reach an appropriate stage of self-reliance, according to the government.
According to the Human Resources and Social Development website, a single, widowed or divorced woman can also apply to foster a child.
“These are phenomenal changes and progress. I admire our government who wish to see a country with no orphan care centres, instead welcome them into our homes, integrate into our families and culture, giving them equal rights as citizens and hope for a better future,” said Lujain Ahmed, a 30-year-old Saudi mother living in Riyadh.
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
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Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
It
Director: Andres Muschietti
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor
Three stars
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Specs
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
57%20Seconds
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