JEDDAH, 19 December 2002 — Marks & Spencer and Nike, neighboring Tahlia St. stores, were both burglarized over the Eid break, Arab News has learned.

Marks & Spencer, which opened a showpiece store on Tahlia St. here last month, was a victim within its first two weeks of business.

A former employee of Marks & Spencer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, yesterday told Arab News that thieves "disabled the alarm and removed the security tapes from the camera surveillance system."

"They tried to break into the safe but couldn’t," he added. "What they were able to do was remove all the leather jackets. The total loss was SR16,000."

"The same thieves then broke into Nike and stole only the size 42 high-priced shoes."

Raziq Waqeel, general manager at the Marks & Spencer store, told Arab News that the matter was "internal" and "is being handled by our corporate investigators in Riyadh."

"This is not something that concerns the public," he claimed.

However, according to industry professionals contacted through a global asset protection network called the Retail Loss Prevention Exchange (RLPX), which has Saudi members, consumers are paying an average of 40 percent more than they should in order to make up for losses caused by theft.

Mohammad Alawi, executive manager of Heraa Mall, told Arab News yesterday that theft "is a huge problem."

"Here in Heraa Mall, security personnel apprehend shoplifters and dishonest employees daily. Those caught are handed to the police. Unfortunately, we often see the same thieves return to try their luck again and again."

The lack of a criminal records system in Saudi Arabia is allowing habitual offenders to get away with stealing over and over again, he added.

"A dishonest employee can be terminated from one company one day and be hired somewhere else to do the same job the next day. His new employer is completely unaware of his past."

The busiest times of the year for retailers are Ramadan, the Eids and Haj, when an influx of visitors to the city brings with it some undesirable elements.

Mohammed Ofaish, personnel and administration manager at Heraa Mall, told Arab News that during this period, "Heraa sees as many as 25,000 visitors every day."

"As a result, our security force is almost doubled from 45 to 80 guards. Large stores such as Rada have had up to five shoplifting incidents daily and Danube experiences a similar surge in thefts."

"The increase in crime over the past few years in Saudi Arabia can possibly be attributed to regional financial hardships that are affecting everyone," a local industry expert explains.

"With the introduction of Saudization, many expatriates are being given low-end salary jobs. On the other hand, there are not enough opportunities available for young Saudis who have graduated into the job market in either the public or the private sector."

The majority of shoplifters are women, according to Alawi, and they use their loose-fitting abayas to conceal stolen items.

"When a woman is a suspect, security guards will notify the police officers stationed at the mall. This is an effective approach that prevents certain awkward situations from arising.

Some female shoplifters rely on the cultural taboo of an unrelated male making contact with them. They tend to be confrontational in situations where they are stopped by male security officers", said Alawi.

"We have hired undercover female security guards, to aid the entire security effort at the mall. Their chief responsibility is blending in and monitoring theft by women and detecting and reporting physical and verbal harassment of our female shoppers," he added.