The world-renowned Islamic speaker, Dr Zakir Naik, who is wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terror offences, has been granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia.
Arab media sources have reported that King Salman had personally intervened to grant Dr Naik Saudi citizenship to safeguard him from incarceration by Interpol.
In April, Indian courts issued a second arrest warrant for Dr Naik in connection to an alleged terrorism case and over money laundering.
Dr Naik, who was out of India at the time, decided not to return to the country and remained in Malaysia where permanent residency status was granted to him in 2012 ago by the Malaysian government.
The prominent speaker allegedly left India in 2016 to avoid arrest after ISIS-inspired militants who carried out a gun attack in Dhaka said they were inspired by him.
Indian media outlets have widely reported that country’s enforcement officials were aiming to revoke his passport and request Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for him.
Initially, it was thought that Dr Naik would be forced to return to India if his passport was revoked.
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The Mumbai passport office made a move to revoke the 51-year-old’s passport while a special court sent out an arrest warrant for him.
