14,796 Violators Arrested in Week-Long Campaign

Security forces across Saudi Arabia arrested 14,796 people for violating residency, labor, and border security regulations during a week-long joint enforcement campaign carried out from 3 to 9 September 2026,

The arrests included 7,504 residency-law violators, 3,783 border-security violators, and 3,509 labor-law violators. Authorities also apprehended 1,273 people attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally and 25 attempting to leave illegally, along with 21 individuals accused of transporting, sheltering, or employing violators.

During the same period, 12,057 illegal residents were deported. A total of 18,677 violators were referred to their diplomatic missions to obtain travel documents, and 3,487 were referred to complete travel arrangements. Meanwhile, 30,257 expatriates — 28,529 men and 1,728 women — are undergoing procedures for the enforcement of legal measures.

Penalties and reporting

Officials reminded the public that anyone convicted of facilitating illegal entry, transporting, sheltering, or assisting violators faces imprisonment of up to 15 years, a fine of up to 1,000,000 SAR, and confiscation of vehicles used for transport or properties used for shelter.

Residents can report residency, labor, and border security violations by calling 911 in the Makkah, Riyadh, and Eastern Province regions, or 999 and 996 in all other regions of the Kingdom.

The campaign is part of ongoing weekly field operations conducted across all regions to monitor and apprehend violators. Similar weekly totals of roughly 14,000 to 16,000 violators have been reported throughout mid-2026, reflecting the sustained pace of enforcement nationwide.

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