The general perception among the public in that area was that the five-member family, consisting of a man in his 60s, his pregnant wife and three small children, were illegal foreigners, but a look at their identity papers proved they were citizens.

The man showed Arab News a letter from the General Organization for Social Insurance that said he was suffering from a number of illnesses and that the wife was in the seventh month of her pregnancy.

He told Arab News that his condition prevented him from continuing his old occupation as a shepherd in the southern region. He also said he had five other children from a previous marriage.

He said he used to receive SR2,000 monthly assistance from social security, but this was cut because he turned 55 three months ago. “I cannot do anything to sustain my family but beg in order to pay the rent of the communal house in which we live,” he said.

The man also said anti-beggary police officers detained him three times already, but they released him when they realized he was Saudi.

There are numerous charity organizations in Jeddah licensed by the government to assist such families.

During the first half of 2011, these welfare societies received money from the government in addition to donations from citizens and expatriates to support their budgets and assist the poor and needy Saudi families.

Arab News has received complaints from a number of poor Saudi families accusing charity organizations of not doing enough to help them. Some complaints went as far as accusing some organizations of being corrupt.