Saudi Arabia arrests 1,708 in anti-corruption crackdown in 2024
SPA
Saudi Arabia’s Control and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) arrested 1,708 individuals, including numerous government officials, on various corruption charges in 2024.
The arrests followed 37,124 inspection tours and over 4,000 investigations conducted across the Kingdom. Charges ranged from abuse of power and bribery to money laundering.
The crackdown, a key initiative under the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
Crown Prince Mohammed’s declaration that “no one involved in a corruption case will escape, whoever he may be” remains the hallmark of this robust campaign, aligned with Vision 2030 goals of sustainable development and integrity-driven governance.
Throughout the year, Nazaha conducted monthly operations targeting corruption in multiple sectors. In January, the agency carried out 2,181 inspections, 360 investigations, and made 149 arrests.
During the Hajj season in June, 9,600 inspections at holy sites were conducted, and 382 investigations were executed, leading to the arrest of 155 people.
By December, 390 investigations were concluded, and 145 individuals ended up in the authorities’ net.
Corruption cases implicated employees from various ministries, including Defense, Education, Health, and Transport, and agencies like the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority. The violations ranged from bribery and official influence abuse to money laundering and forgery.
