Saudi Arabia arrests 13,532 for residency, border violations

Saudi authorities arrested more than 13,500 individuals in a week-long crackdown on violations of residency, labour and border security laws, according to a statement by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Saturday.

The coordinated campaign resulted in the detention of 13,532 people across the Kingdom. Of these, 7,903 were apprehended for breaching residency regulations, 3,744 for illegal border crossing attempts and 1,885 for labour law violations.

Authorities reported that 1,892 individuals were caught attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally. Among them, 67% were Ethiopian nationals, 31% were Yemeni and the remaining 2% belonged to other nationalities. Additionally, 34 people were detained while trying to cross into neighbouring countries.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed that 17 people were arrested for aiding illegal entry, including providing shelter and transportation to violators.

Officials reiterated that facilitating illegal entry into Saudi Arabia carries severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, fines reaching SR1 million and the confiscation of vehicles and property used in the offence.

Residents are urged to report suspected violations by calling 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions and 999 or 996 in other areas of the Kingdom.