Saudi Arabia arrests 17 government employees in sweeping anti-corruption crackdown

Dubai: Seventeen Saudi government employees across various ministries and public bodies have been arrested in a sweeping ant-corruption crackdown, following a series of investigations conducted by the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha), local media reported.

The authority confirmed that the suspects face legal action for offences ranging from bribery and embezzlement to the abuse of public office.

Among those detained was an employee of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, who allegedly received SR1.6 million in exchange for illegally securing a crusher licence for a company owned by a foreign investor. Another Saudi citizen was arrested after receiving SR85,000, part of an agreed SR110,000, to cancel a demolition order issued against agricultural land that lacked a title deed. Two municipal employees in the same area were also taken into custody for accepting payments to halt similar demolition orders.

In a separate case, an employee working for a governorate municipality was arrested after allegedly receiving SR195,000 in return for unlawfully awarding a tender to a commercial entity. The director of a local water desalination plant was also detained for accepting SR35,000 from a contracting firm in exchange for overlooking regulatory violations.

Nazaha further reported that an employee of a regional secretariat was arrested after receiving SR30,000 of an agreed SR240,000 to facilitate the illegal disbursement of SR8.3 million in financial dues to a private company. Other arrests included an officer from the General Directorate of Civil Defence accused of receiving SR10,430 for issuing a commercial permit, and a hospital employee charged with embezzling SR12,000 belonging to a catering company contracted to provide food services.

Another officer with the Ministry of Defence was also detained for allegedly taking money from female citizens in exchange for promising them employment opportunities. In another case, an employee working for an emirate in one of the regions was arrested for accepting a bribe to illegally facilitate a marriage procedure. Similarly, an employee at an enforcement court was detained after accepting payment in exchange for removing a citizen’s name from a service suspension list.

Nazaha also arrested an employee of the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority at an airport after discovering several customs violations. Another employee working for a regional secretariat was detained for using public funds to purchase travel tickets for himself and his family. In a related case, a market supervisor employed by the same secretariat was arrested for conducting inspection tours of a commercial establishment and seizing SR7,500 and tobacco products without legal justification.

The anti-graft authority also detained an employee of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development who allegedly accepted a bribe from a commercial entity in return for ignoring a regulatory violation. In addition, a staff member at a Ministry of Health complex was arrested for taking money in exchange for helping an individual pass the health professions licensing exam without attending it. Another case involved an employee of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, who was arrested for accepting a bribe to avoid cancelling a hotel’s operating permit. An employee of the Saudi Electricity Company was also detained for receiving payment to illegally supply electricity to a private site.

Nazaha’s spokesperson reiterated that the authority remains steadfast in its mission to combat corruption in all forms, emphasising that those who exploit public office for personal gain will be held accountable even after leaving their posts. “The ant-graft body will continue to enforce the law firmly and without leniency against anyone who infringes upon public funds or abuses their position,” the statement said.