Over 14,400 residency, labor and border law violators arrested in Saudi Arabia in one week

Joint field campaigns to monitor and apprehend violators of residency, labor, and border security regulations, conducted across all regions of the Kingdom from August 20 to 26, 2026, resulted in the arrest of 14,434 violators.

Of those arrested, 6,976 were found in violation of residency regulations, 4,110 violated border security laws, and 3,348 breached labor regulations.

Arrest of infiltrators and accomplices

A total of 1,450 people were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross into the Kingdom; 41% were Yemeni nationals, 58% Ethiopian, and 1% from other nationalities. Additionally, 44 individuals were arrested for attempting to illegally cross out of the Kingdom.

Security authorities also arrested 27 individuals for their involvement in transporting, harboring, employing, or concealing violators of the regulations.

Legal procedures and deportation

Currently, 29,938 violators are undergoing legal procedures, including 27,957 men and 1,981 women. A total of 18,914 violators have been referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, 2,867 are completing travel bookings, and 14,905 have been deported.

Warnings and penalties

The Ministry of Interior warned that anyone facilitating the entry, transportation, harboring, or assistance of border security law violators faces penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 1 million riyals (SAR), as well as confiscation of vehicles and accommodations used, and public naming of offenders.

The ministry stated that this offense is considered a major crime warranting arrest and is a breach of honor and trust. It urged the public to report violations by calling 911 in Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, or 999 or 996 in other regions.