In this Sept. 17, 2015 file photo, a worker waits for cars at a gas station in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

In response to complaints from the public, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced that it has launched a probe into the alleged sale of diluted petrol to motorists in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Dilution is the process of making a liquid thinner or weaker by adding another solvent to it.

Citizens had posted videos on social networking sites showing a worker at a gas station adding 90 green fuel to a vehicle from a pump marked 95 red gas. Many users posted comments calling for the prosecution of such perpetrators.

According to a supervisor at a station in Najran, Ahmed Al-Oulqi, most gas stations lack devices to check the type of gasoline, and said there have been instances of 90 gasoline being mixed with 95.

Sources said most gas stations in Najran were rented out by Saudis to expatriate workers on a monthly basis, which was one of the reasons behind this type of fraud.

A source at the ministry was quoted as saying on Monday by local media that action would be taken including ensuring gas pumps have proper measuring devices, including those that can test for the color of gas.

He said the ministry had received clarification from the Agency of Petroleum and Mineral Resources indicating that the difference in color might be a result of the crude oil type used and refining methods.

Slight differences in the color was not proof of poor quality because products are subject to testing to ensure they match technical specifications, the agency said.

Related articles across the web

• In milestone, Saudi voters elect 20 women candidates
• First Women Political Leaders In Saudi Arabia: Role Of Women In Islamic Societies - OpEd
• In pictures: First vote for Saudi women
• Makkah crane collapse: Five engineers, technicians found guilty
• Twenty female candidates win election in Saudi Arabia local balloting
• Niall Holohan: Election of 20 women in Saudi Arabia is not meaningless
• Camel Study Unveils MERS Patterns And Vaccine Potentials
• Saudi women cast first votes in local elections
• Saudi Women: Elections Are One Step Forward On A Long Road
• 'Proud' Women Win Seats in Saudi Vote