Riyadh: Saudi authorities arrested 21,058 people in one week for breaching residency, work and border security regulations, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
A total of 12,558 people were arrested for violations of residency laws, while 5,500 were held over illegal border crossing attempts, and a further 3,000 for labor-related issues.
The report showed that among the 2072 people arrested for trying to enter the Kingdom illegally, 52 percent were Ethiopian, 47 percent Yemeni, and 1 percent were of other nationalities.
A further 28 people were caught trying to cross into neighboring countries, and 37 were held for involvement in transporting and harboring violators, the SPA reported.
The Ministry of Interior said that anyone found to be facilitating illegal entry to the Kingdom, including providing transportation and shelter, could face imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, a fine of up to SR1 million ($267,000), as well as confiscation of vehicles and property.
Suspected violations can be reported on the toll-free number 911 in the Makkah and Riyadh regions, and 999 or 996 in other regions of the Kingdom.
Saudi initiative dismantles 1,319 mines in Yemen during past week
Since 2014, Project Masam has removed 517,818 mines and other explosive devices deployed in the country by the Houthis and other militants
Updated 06 October 2025
Arab News
LONDON: During the first week of October, Project Masam, Saudi Arabia’s effort to clear mines in Yemen, dismantled 1,319 explosive devices planted by the Houthis and other militant groups.
The initiative, launched by Saudi aid agency KSrelief in 2014 to prevent deaths and injuries among innocent civilians in the country, has now cleared a total of 517,818 mines and other explosive devices, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The project also provides mine-removal training and equipment for local engineers, as well as support for Yemenis who have been injured by such devices.
The clearing of mines from villages, roads and areas around schools facilitates the safe movement of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid, the agency added.
All visa holders now eligible to perform Umrah: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah
Updated 06 October 2025
Rashid Hassan
RIYADH: All Muslims holding a valid visa for Saudi Arabia can now perform Umrah, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“Planning to visit Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah? You can perform Umrah rituals with any type of entry visa,” the ministry said on X.
“To facilitate the performance of Umrah for the guests of Allah, all visa holders are allowed to perform the rituals. This includes: personal and family visit visas, transit/stopover visa, work visa, tourist evisa, and other visa types,” it said.
“For a smooth Umrah journey, visit the Nusuk Umrah platform, choose the suitable package, and get your Umrah visa instantly,” it added.
The decision reinforces Saudi Arabia’s efforts to make pilgrimage travel simpler and inclusive for all.
It also highlights a significant step in simplifying procedures for pilgrims and broadening access to Umrah services, fulfilling the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
Muslim worshippers reach to touch the golden doors of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest shrine, while performing the Umrah pilgrimage circumambulation, or tawaf, circling seven times around it at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on Sep. 6, 2023. (AFP/File Photo)
The ministry noted that this step reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to facilitating the arrival of Muslims from around the world to perform their rituals with ease and tranquility.
It recently launched the Nusuk Umrah platform for those wishing to perform Umrah directly, enabling users to select a suitable package and obtain Umrah permits electronically with ease.
The integrated digital platform also allows beneficiaries to book services and choose timings flexibly.
Praising the announcement Ahmed Peshkar, an Indian businessman in Riyadh, told Arab News: “It’s a welcome decision which reflect(s) the keenness of the Saudi government to enable Muslims holding all types of visa(s) to visit the Holy Mosque and perform their rituals in a safe and spiritual environment, while providing high-quality services that enrich the Umrah performers’ experience and ease their faith journey.
“It also underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to enabling Muslims from all over the world to perform their Umrah with ease. It is designed to make Umrah more accessible and to support the Kingdom’s long-term vision of positioning itself as a global destination for spiritual tourism.”
Prince Saud bin Turki opens Saudi Elenex 2025 in Riyadh
More than 160 companies from 13 countries showcasing latest technologies in electricity, energy, and related sectors
Event coincides with major investments in Kingdom’s energy, infrastructure sectors
Updated 06 October 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Prince Saud bin Turki bin Faisal on Monday opened the 26th Elenex event at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.
The event focuses on the electricity, air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, and home appliances sectors.
Running from Oct. 6-8, the exhibition features more than 160 companies from 13 countries showcasing the latest technologies in electricity, energy, and related sectors.
Prince Saud, who is also chairman on the board of Riyadh Exhibitions Company, said the event highlighted the Kingdom’s transition toward cleaner and more efficient energy solutions and supported collaboration between local and international firms in line with national development goals.
The exhibition coincides with major investments in Saudi Arabia’s energy and infrastructure sectors, which aim to generate 50 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
It also includes a conference bringing together public and private sector experts to discuss energy trends, infrastructure projects, and market developments.
Saudi Arabia at the frontier of digital health and education, experts say
“Saudi Arabia is doing very well in digital education and digital health, as well as in digital work and training,” Abdulaal said
Updated 06 October 2025
Hajar AlQusayer
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is making strong progress in digital health and education, with data highlighting key advancements in the Kingdom’s transformation toward a digital-based economy under Vision 2030.
According to the Digital Economy Navigator, a global framework that measures countries’ digital maturity, the Kingdom scored 91.2 in digital for health and education, and 83.1 in workforce training.
Speaking to Arab News, Alaa Abdulaal, chief of digital economy foresight at the Riyadh-headquartered Digital Cooperation Organization, said the Kingdom is highlighted as one of the fastest transforming digital economies, with strengths in digital aspects.
“Saudi Arabia is doing very well in digital education and digital health, as well as in digital work and training,” Abdulaal said. “(The Kingdom) is considered among the frontier countries in terms of maturity level across these pillars.”
She added that the Digital Economy Navigator is both a measurement and guidance tool, helping countries identify their areas of strength and the sectors that require further development.
“The Digital Economy Navigator is a tool that would help countries understand where they stand from a digital-economy maturity perspective,” she said.
Saudi Arabia’s strong foundation in digital regulation has also supported its rapid transformation, Abdulaal said.
“From a regulation perspective, Saudi Arabia’s score is considered very good,” she added. “They are developing a lot of regulations that are enabling a very strong environment for prosperity, but also with the acceleration of the digital economy and the quick acceleration development in technology, there is always room (for) doing better from a regulation perspective.”
While the Kingdom’s performance in education, health and workforce development is among the strongest globally, Abdulaal said digital innovation remains an area requiring greater focus.
“Still digital innovation needs a lot of investment and a lot of focus, not only in Saudi, but as I said, across a lot of countries that we have assessed.
“It needs a lot of investment research and development. The uncertainty that is behind innovation also may cause a fear in investment in innovation, but as we see with the acceleration of the technology, we see that the need of the research and development areas is really helping in accelerating the growth of the digital economy.”
She said that the framework draws data from both primary and secondary sources, including surveying an average of 500 participants per country, to capture the lived experiences of citizens.
“It means that people have a say in how mature their digital economy is; it reflects their perspective as beneficiaries and contributors,” Abdulaal added.
“We took the societal aspect into consideration as an important pillar in the digital economy. And with this framework, it will help understand where you stand and how you move forward.”
Abdulaal highlighted how human capital development is the foundation of a resilient digital economy.
“Human capital is one of the main pillars of the digital economy,” she said. “When you look at the enabler dimension, there is a pillar called digital capabilities, which is really focused on how much each country is investing in upskilling and reskilling their society with the right skills.”
She added that countries including Saudi Arabia are performing well in digital literacy but must now prepare for a more advanced phase of transformation.
“We are in an era (of) AI, Internet of Things. You hear about quantum computing, you hear about all of those digital and technology advancements. We need to make sure that our society is equipped with the right skills that will enable them to be part of this.”
Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal, the visionary behind Saudi Arabia’s desalination revolution
Lecture in Riyadh focuses on pivotal figure who helped reshape Saudi Arabia
Updated 06 October 2025
Ghadi Joudah
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is no longer just a petrostate but has become a global leader in desalinated water production, Michael Christopher Low, associate professor of history and director of the Middle East Center at the University of Utah, told an event in Riyadh on Monday.
Speaking at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Low presented a lecture on the pivotal role of Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal, whose pioneering work in desalination during the 1970s helped reshape Saudi Arabia and secured its water future.
Low said that Prince Mohammed’s commitment to solving water scarcity was rooted in his childhood experiences during the 1930s and 1940s, when Saudi Arabia faced severe water shortages.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal attended the event on Monday. (AN photo by Jafar Al-Saleh)
The prince often spoke of Jeddah’s old desalination plant, known as the condenser, which provided fresh water during droughts. These early struggles, Low said, inspired the prince’s lifelong mission to ensure Saudi Arabia’s water security.
“In 1972, the Saline Water Conversion Department separated from the Ministry of Agriculture and Water,” Low said.
This marked the first step toward creating a dedicated water infrastructure. Two years later, a royal decree established the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, and Prince Mohammed was appointed its founding governor.
Low explained that under the prince’s leadership, desalination infrastructure expanded rapidly.
“By the time of his resignation in 1977, 28 major desalination projects were either completed or underway,” Low said.
Low described the 1970s and 1980s as the era when Jeddah became the epicenter of Saudi Arabia’s “saltwater kingdom.”
He highlighted several key events, starting with phase one of Jeddah’s desalination plant in 1978.
Low said: “Reverse osmosis units were added, making it the largest such facility in the world at the time and increasing capacity by 40 percent.”
More expansions followed. In 1979, phase two introduced multi-stage flash desalination technology, which added 1 million gallons of daily water production as well as 85 megawatts of electricity.
Low said phase three in 1980 added another 2 million gallons per day and 256 megawatts of electricity, while phase four a year later produced a further 5 million gallons per day and added 590 megawatts of energy.
“These projects not only addressed Saudi Arabia’s water shortages but also supported its rapid urbanization and population growth,” Low said.
Low called desalination “the revolution of the 20th century that sustained Saudi Arabia and enabled it to become the welfare state it is today.” He said that the prince’s work laid the foundation for Saudi Arabia’s position as the world’s largest producer of desalinated water.
Low also discussed Prince Mohammed’s bold and controversial plan to tow icebergs from Antarctica to Saudi Arabia.
The prince convened an international conference on iceberg utilization in 1977, bringing together scientists and experts to evaluate the feasibility of harvesting freshwater from glacial ice.
“The iceberg project reflected the technological optimism of the 1970s,” Low said. While the plan ultimately did not materialize, Low said that it showcased the prince’s innovative mindset and willingness to explore unconventional solutions.
Low said that Prince Mohammed’s contributions to desalination transformed Saudi Arabia to such an extent that desalinated water became fundamental to daily life.
“His towering legacy is an inheritance that every Saudi citizen is bound to take for granted when they turn on the tap,” Low said.
He added that the prince’s visionary work ensured that Saudi Arabia could thrive in an arid environment, with water scarcity turned from a challenge into an opportunity for progress.
