Saudi- Divorced Arab woman seeks urgent iqama transfer

(MENAFN- Arab News) An Arab woman with two children from her former Saudi husband is in a quandary because her former spouse refused to renew her residence permit after he divorced her a few years ago. Umm Raed said her former husband also refused to comply with a court order to pay maintenance for their children aged 11 and 12. She has custody of the children, who are Saudi citizens. She said she sued for divorce when her life became unbearable because of her husband's daily physical and mental abuse. A Shariah court had ruled six years ago that her former spouse should pay a total of SR 1,100 a month for the children's upkeep, which includes their clothes and medical care. She said her former husband had not renewed her iqama for nine years. She also had to get a new passport from her country's embassy because he had refused to hand over her original passport. She tried unsuccessfully to transfer her sponsorship a year ago. A spokesman for the Passport Department said the woman could get assistance if she gets a favorable order from the governor's office. He said she could also get a sponsorship transfer because her children are Saudi citizens.