Nearly 14,800 Arrested in a Week for Residency Violations

Authorities across Saudi Arabia arrested 14,796 people during a one-week period from 3 to 9 September 2026 for violations of the Residency Law, Border Security Law and Labor Law,

The weekly breakdown reflected a familiar pattern seen throughout 2026: roughly 7,000 to 7,800 people were held for residency (Iqama) violations, between 3,800 and 4,600 for border security offences, and 2,800 to 3,500 for labor law breaches. Many of those detained are illegal residents and workers who are either held pending deportation or deported directly after processing. One recent nationwide crackdown recorded more than 14,900 deportations following a week-long operation.

What counts as a violation

Residency violations commonly include overstaying after an Iqama expires, working for an employer other than the sponsor, and illegal transfer of sponsorship. For individual expatriates, standard Iqama non-renewal or overstay fines in 2026 are SAR 500 for a first offence and SAR 1,000 for a second, while a third offence leads to deportation and cancellation of the residency permit.

Visit visa overstays carry a fine of SAR 100 and some residency categories incur SAR 50 Employers who fail to correctly renew or manage staff permits face labor-law penalties ranging from SAR 1,000 to SAR 3,000 plus possible deportation of affected employees and red-listing on the Human Resources and Social Development portal, which blocks future visa and Iqama processing.

Workers facing labor violations or non-renewal of their Iqama can file complaints online through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development portal, logging in with national digital ID credentials, selecting the service for reporting labor violations, and attaching supporting evidence. Initial responses typically arrive within three to five business days, with complex cases sometimes routed to friendly settlement procedures.

---

Stay updated with the latest news, events, sports updates, business insights, real estate and lifestyle stories on Saudi Living — the leading online platform for residents, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia.

Follow Saudi Living for daily updates:

• Instagram - @saudiliving
• X - @saudiliving
• Facebook - @saudiliving
• YouTube - @saudiliving