In the mid-1920s, the government began issuing rules to determine nationality, laying groundwork for later citizenship policy. These early rules were aimed at identifying the kingdom’s nationals as borders and administration became more formal. They also signaled a shift from local affiliation toward a centralized legal definition of citizenship.
In 1932, King Abdulaziz proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing diverse regions and tribal communities under one central state. Building a workable citizenship system became important for taxation, security, and access to state services. The decades that followed focused on defining who was a Saudi national and how people would be recorded in government systems.
In 1938, a Royal Decree issued rules and provisions concerning Saudi nationality, showing that earlier nationality practices were being revised as the state matured. Updating the rules helped standardize decisions about who qualified as a national. It also supported tighter links between citizenship status and government administration.
In 1939, a Supreme Order established a Civil Registry Law, signaling a stronger push toward systematic recording of residents and key life events. Civil registration supports basic state functions such as identity verification, inheritance rules, and public planning. This step connected citizenship rules to day-to-day administrative recordkeeping.
In 1939 (1358H), a civil affairs system was issued by Royal Decree, reflecting the need for a dedicated administrative approach to civil records. Civil affairs functions typically include recording births, deaths, marriage-related records, and identity documentation. These tools helped the state track its population more consistently across regions.
The Ministry of Interior was founded in 1926 and later reorganized in 1951 when interior affairs were separated from a combined body. This mattered for citizenship and registration because nationality, passports, and internal administration increasingly fell under interior governance. The reorganization supported more specialized management of identity and population systems.
On September 22, 1954 (1374/01/25H), the Law of Saudi Arabian Nationality was issued, creating a clearer nationwide legal framework. The law covered definitions of Saudis and rules for granting, acquiring, and withdrawing nationality. It became a core legal reference for citizenship decisions in the mid-20th century.
In 1960, a Council of Ministers resolution established the General Directorate of Passports and Nationality, separating these tasks from general security. This change aimed to professionalize and standardize how the state handled nationality documentation and travel papers. It was a step toward more modern identity administration alongside population registration.
Reports indicate a census was conducted in 1962–1963, but the results were not publicly released. Even without publication, conducting a census reflects the state’s growing interest in counting and categorizing the population for planning and governance. This period shows the gap that could exist between data collection and public reporting.
Saudi Arabia’s First Development Plan (1970–1975) used rising oil revenues to expand infrastructure and public services. As the state built schools, health services, utilities, and transportation, accurate population data and reliable identity documentation became more valuable for allocating resources. Development planning and population administration increasingly reinforced each other.
A population census conducted in 1974 reported a total population around 7.0 million, including both Saudi and non-Saudi residents. Breaking totals out by nationality highlighted the scale of foreign labor presence during the oil-driven growth years. Census results also strengthened the practical role of nationality rules by linking legal status to demographic measurement.
In 1975, the General Directorate of Passports and Nationality was transformed into an agency within the Ministry of Interior responsible for passports and civil affairs. This change tied identity documentation and civil registration more closely to a higher-level interior ministry structure. It marked a turning point toward more centralized, specialized management of population registration and citizenship-related administration.
Citizenship, population registration and settlement policies (1932–1975)