Abu Dhabi: The Municipality of Jazan, in the southwest corner of Saudi Arabia, has closed a number of bank automated teller machines (ATMs) in some governorates, as citizens expressed frustration that the closure coincided with the payment of salaries on Sunday, a day that witnesses an unusually large crowds at money changers and banks, local media reported.
The closure came after the Saudi General Auditing Bureau revealed that some banks had practiced their commercial activities without obtaining licenses to engage in activity and licenses for ATMs, which numbered more than 138 ATMs, as well as 65 bank branches, operating on lapsed licences, Sabq repored.
Jazan Municipality told Sabq the closed ATMs were operating without completing the regular procedures for practicing their activities.
Sources added authorities also found that there were a large number of financing companies operating without a license and the violating banks accumulated fines of more than 30 million riyals.
