Saudi Gazette report



RIYADH — As many as 811,000 expatriates have left the Kingdom on final exit visa in the past 18 months, Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper reported on Wednesday quoting the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat).



According to the Jawazat, an average of more than 1,500 expatriates left the Kingdom on a daily basis on final exit visa during this period.



During the past few months of this year, as many as 270,000 expatriates left on final exit visa compared to 541,000 during the same period last year.



As many as 1.2 million exit-reentry visas were issued during the first four months of this year against about three million the same time last year, according to the Jawazat.



A total of 1.9 million iqamas (residence permits) were renewed by 1,050,144 companies and establishments.



The Jawazat said an average of 10,837 iqamas are renewed daily while the daily entries to the Muqeem electronic site were 51,756.



Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced that a total of 928,857 expatriates violating the residency, work and border security laws were arrested as part of the “Nation Free of Violators” campaign which was launched on Nov. 15, 2017, with the participation of 19 ministries and government departments.



The ministry said 674,033 expatriates were violating the residency laws, 177,230 labor laws and 77,594 the border security system. It said as many as 13,468 people were arrested while trying to sneak into the Kingdom through its southern borders. Of these 58% were Yemenis, 39% were Ethiopians and 3% of various nationalities.



According to the ministry, about 12,782 expatriates — 10,768 men and 2,014 women — are currently being detained at detention centers.



The ministry also said that security patrols arrested 21,374 wanted criminals of various nationalities in a week.



It said the criminals included people with previous criminals records, car thieves, drug and liquor traffickers and other people wanted for legal and public rights violations.



The ministry said 286 stolen cars were recovered while the search was still continuing for another 386 vehicles.



It said 1,272 cars were held for lack of ownership registration.



According to the ministry, as many as 3,726 weapons of various types were seized, This included 13 machineguns and 119 pistols.



It said 1,597 bottles of liquor, 1,541 grams of hashish and 3,399 narcotic pills were confiscated and destroyed.