Saudi Arabia deports 13,279 expats in one week

Dubai: Saudi Arabia deported 13,279 foreign nationals in a single week as part of an intensified nationwide crackdown on violations of residency, labor, and border security laws, the Ministry of Interior announced yesterday.

According to Okaz newspaper, the large-scale campaign, carried out between October 23 and October 29, 2025, led to the arrest of 21,651 individuals across the Kingdom. Among them were 12,745 violators of residency laws, 4,577 border security offenders, and 4,329 labor law violators, according to official figures.

The ministry said that 1,689 people were caught attempting to enter Saudi Arabia illegally, nearly half of them Yemeni nationals (46 per cent), followed by Ethiopians (53 per cent) and a small number from other countries. Authorities also detained 59 individuals trying to leave the Kingdom illegally and 21 others accused of transporting, employing, or harboring violators.

At present, 31,826 offenders remain in legal custody, 30,151 men and 1,675 women, while 21,980 have been referred to their embassies to secure travel documents, and 5,010 are completing travel arrangements. 

The ministry stressed that the deportations and arrests are part of an ongoing national campaign targeting individuals who breach Saudi Arabia’s entry and residency regulations. 

It warned that anyone found facilitating illegal entry, transportation, or sheltering of violators faces penalties of up to 15 years in prison, fines reaching SR1 million, and confiscation of vehicles and property used in the offenses.

Authorities said that such violations are serious crimes involving dishonesty and moral misconduct, and reiterated that offenders will face public naming and shaming in addition to legal punishment.

The ministry urged residents to report violations through the designated hotlines, 911 in Mecca, Medina, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, and 999 or 996 in other regions.