JEDDAH, 4 September 2006 — Though the number of beggars operating in the Kingdom has slightly declined in the last few months, the number is set to increase as people visit the Kingdom in the run-up to Ramadan.

As Al-Nadwa Arabic daily pointed out in its recent report, Ramadan is a perfect opportunity for beggars to earn money. In fact, many beggars who are dressed up as Saudis are in reality non-Saudis who flock to the Kingdom on Umrah visas and end up overstaying.

Many locals feel quite upset that major cities across Saudi Arabia are full of beggars. Hasel Abdullah, a Jeddah-based Saudi, said: “Beggary is horrible, it spoils the beauty of our cities and whenever a person walks, someone will stop him or her and begin a long story which is usually 99 percent false. The very sight of beggars standing at traffic signals with horrible deformities makes people sick.”

Abdullah believes that the beggars operate in well-organized gangs and are taking advantage of Jeddah. “They are turning this beautiful city — the Bride of the Red Sea — into a slave of beggary. My children always ask me about these people: What do they do? Why are they missing a leg or an arm?”

Beggars tend to adopt a range of means to invoke sympathy. Some carry fake medical reports stating that they are in need of medicine and crucial operations. Others carry documents showing that their relatives are in jail and that they have to pay fines. Even mothers use “their” babies and handicapped children to gain sympathy. The problems related to beggars seem to be rather widespread and people across the Kingdom complain of being harassed at traffic lights and outside mosques.

“It is indeed the kind nature of Saudis that has caused beggary to increase. These people are committing crimes by assassinating the innocence of Saudi people’s nature who wish to donate money to those in need,” said Hamed Al-Aseeri.

Al-Aseeri, however, says that nowadays most people think twice before giving charity to beggars. “The best way to stop beggary is to give money only to charity organizations that are supervised by the government.”

Scientific studies indicate that beggary is very much associated with stealing. According to researchers, the art of begging may turn into a habit that a person may find extremely difficult to quit. It is a new phenomenon that has entered Saudi society and has grown due to the negligence of the Passport and Anti-Beggary Departments.

“It is becoming normal to see mothers holding their babies and elderly men, and disable people hanging around hospitals and traffic signals. What is worrying is that beggars are now knocking on doors to get money,” complained Mosa Al-Falaqi.

Hasan Al-Sabbi also expressed similar concerns about beggars knocking on people’s homes while the men are at work. “There are more beggars coming to our homes while we are at work; this frightens our families. I’m afraid that a simple knock on our doors might end up in a robbery or a murder,” said Al-Sabbi.

According to Khaled Al-Thubaiti, Saudi Arabia has now become synonymous with beggars. “Saudi Arabia now is infamous for having lots of beggars. I have a friend in Kuwait who always tells me that it bugs him when he comes to the Kingdom. This definitely let others carry a bad impression of our country,” he said.

Speaking about the problem, Saad Al-Shahrani, the head of the Anti-Beggary Department in Jeddah, said that Jeddah is considered to be the gateway to Makkah and Madinah, something that encourages overstayers to come and stay here.

Al-Shahrani blames local people for the increasing number of beggars. “They either provide them with money or helping them escape from the authorities. There are around 150,000 beggars in the Kingdom. They are mainly concentrated in Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah and a few are in Riyadh and the Eastern Province,” said Al-Shahrani.

According to official statistics released by the Anti-Beggary Department, SR700 million are spent yearly on beggars. Eighty percent of the beggars are non-Saudis and the Coast Guard is able to arrest 19,000 overstayers each year.

The question, however, remains: Ramadan is coming, what sort of plans do the authorities have in combating this menace in the holy month?