Saudi Arabian authorities arrested 15,836 people during nationwide inspection campaigns carried out between 9 and 15 July 2026 to enforce residency, labour and border security regulations.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the arrests included 7,892 residency law violators, 4,617 border security violators, and 3,327 labour law violators.
Authorities also reported that 1,631 people were arrested while attempting to enter the Kingdom illegally. Of those, 65% were Ethiopian nationals, 33% were Yemeni nationals, and 2% were from other nationalities.
In addition, 42 people were caught attempting to leave Saudi Arabia through unauthorized border crossings.
The Ministry said 21 individuals were arrested for transporting, sheltering, or assisting violators of residency, labour and border security regulations.
Currently, 30,139 violators are undergoing legal procedures. This includes 28,087 men and 2,052 women.
During the reporting period, authorities deported 12,211 illegal residents, while 17,273 violators were referred to complete their travel documents and 6,160 were referred to obtain travel arrangements before deportation.
The Ministry of Interior reiterated that anyone who facilitates the illegal entry, transportation, sheltering, or employment of violators may face severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines of up to SAR 1 million, confiscation of vehicles or property used in the offence, and public naming of offenders where applicable.