A Labor Ministry inspector in Jeddah checks the shop ownership documents and iqama of an expatriate worker.

The Labor Ministry and security forces have continued to conduct routine raids across the country in Ramadan as part of its crackdown on illegal workers.

In Jeddah, inspectors found 132 violations at 307 establishments, while in Makkah 88 violations were uncovered at 179 locations, Abdul Muneem Al-Shahri, director of the ministry in Makkah, told Arab News on Thursday.

In Taif, inspectors uncovered 11 violators at 25 locations and six violators in Al-Leeth, said Al-Shahri. Illegal workers would be fined, imprisoned and deported, he said.

He said the ministry would penalize Saudi sponsors who allow their expatriate employees to work for others.

In the Eastern Province, labor officials found 223 violations and arrested 16 workers for working in jobs not listed on their residency permits.

In Jazan, the police arrested six expatriate workers for preparing sambusak in a remote area for eateries in the city. In Riyadh, the authorities found 137 illegal workers preparing sambusak.

The Riyadh Municipality, police and Labor Ministry officials are cracking down on street vendors in the capital, according to reports.

Last month, the police reportedly arrested 1,253 people in Hafr Al-Batin for violating the country’s labor laws.

The Labor Ministry registered 45,375 work violations in the first six months of this year across the Kingdom, with the police arresting 734,000 people over the same period.

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