Saudi Arabia: 28 expats arrested in Riyadh for violating residency, labour laws
Violations include self-employment and work without permits
Cairo: Saudi inspectors had arrested 28 expatriates found to have violated the kingdom’s residency and labour laws in a raid on telecommunication offices in the capital Riyadh, local media reported.
The raid was mounted by inspection teams from the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources on telecom complexes in east Riyadh to verify compliance with labour codes.
The violators included those who were illegally engaged in self-employment in activities confined to Saudi nationals or working without permits manipulating their visit visas, officials said.
The violators were handed over to police to process procedures ahead of deporting them from the kingdom.
Several establishments were, meanwhile, booked for infringing the kingdom’s decrees on employing Saudi citizens and labour systems.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled several plans to create jobs for its citizens, replacing migrant workers.
Saudi authorities have repeatedly warned that those who facilitate the entry of infiltrators into the kingdom or provide them with transportation, shelter or any sort of assistance face penalties of a maximum of 15 years in prison, and a fine of up to SR1 million, as well as confiscation of the transport and the accommodation means, in addition to naming to shame them.