Arab News

Riyadh: Saudi authorities arrested 17,999 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

According to an official report, a total of 10,975 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 4,011 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 3,013 for labor-related issues.

The report showed that among the 688 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 38 percent were Yemeni, 60 percent Ethiopian, and 2 percent were of other nationalities.

A further 200 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 14 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators.

Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.