JEDDAH, 2 March 2004 — The Anti-Begging Department has been forced to terminate the contracts of 16 employees, Al-Bilad Arabic newspaper reported. A number of the men told the paper this made it impossible for them to provide for their families and could force them to turn to begging. The head of the organization, Saad Al-Shihrani, said his office needed the men but the Ministry of the Interior had failed to respond to requests to renew their contracts.
