Police said the man entered the mall while the complex was closed for Friday prayers. The man was noticed by a security guard who saw him acting suspiciously and called the police.

On receiving the call, police cordoned all of the mall’s exits before entering. The thief was caught hiding in a shop on the first floor.

The man had entered 17 shops and taken cash and mobile phones belonging to store workers.

“Since he was alone, he couldn’t carry large items from the shops,” said a police spokesman.

Officers are investigating whether the man has been involved in other crimes. The nationality of the man was not disclosed. He will be brought before a court as soon as investigations are completed.

Riyadh police have recently intensified patrols to control rising crime in the capital and have called on members of the public to report incidents as soon as they happen.

According to official sources, most crimes in the Kingdom are committed by illegal residents.

The government announced in September an amnesty that allows illegal residents to leave the Kingdom without incurring penalties. The amnesty will end on March 18.

A recent survey conducted by a local Arabic newspaper said security forces in Riyadh are faced with a massive task in policing some districts of the city, which is one of the fastest growing capitals in the Arab world.

Shumaisi, Nasseriyah, Faisaliyah, Kubeirah and Batha districts are particular hot spots of crime and barely policed, according to the the survey.