It is thought the city’s large community of overstayers, who are of numerous nationalities, is to blame for the surge. According to reports, most of the thefts are carried out by semi-organized gangs.
The majority of these people live in the undeveloped areas around Al-Mansour Street, such as the Hindawiya, Tandabawi, Zogla, Jabal Ghurab, Harat Al-Zaharain and Rusaifa districts.
The city’s residents are fed up with the rampant crime and call on the authorities to properly punish criminals. “In most cases, thieves who are caught are given light punishments; their crimes aren’t even publicized,” said one resident.
“We also need to make some concrete steps regarding undeveloped districts, which are home to many overstayers and crime gangs,” said another resident.
Maj. Abdul Muhsin Al-Mayman, official spokesman for the Makkah police, attributed the high crime rate to the presence of so many illegal residents in the city.
He said he is optimistic the fingerprinting system will play a crucial role in curbing crime and preventing known criminals from re-entering the Kingdom.
Brig. Gen. Muhammad Al-Bunyan, a security expert, echoed Al-Mayman's views. He said youths without proper residency documents are behind most of the city’s crimes.
“These youths live in poverty and are unemployed. These are the factors that bring them on to the streets and push them into all sorts of crimes, such as thefts, robbery and pickpocketing,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Abdul Samie Qadi, a former police official in Makkah, called on the authorities to take urgent steps to address the issue of people without proper resident permits.
“Giving iqamas to illegal residents would enable them to find proper jobs,” he added.
Sami Miabar, district chief of Rusaifa, also claimed that criminals in his area tend to be non-Saudis. “Some foreign nationals work as security guards or drivers. Many of them struggle hard to earn money and feed their family members, often comprising up to 20 people in one household,” he said.
“They also struggle to provide them with education. There is a need to rehabilitate these children into society and prevent them from becoming part of crime gangs,” he added.
Miabar suggested cleaning companies hire these unemployed youths instead of sourcing manpower from abroad.
Adel Munawwar, a professor of social science, underlined the need for field studies to pinpoint the actual causes of the huge number of thefts in the city. “Most of those involved are youths of various nationalities who are illiterate and jobless. Measures need to be taken to either rehabilitate them or deport them,” he said.
He added that some families employ women who reside in the Kingdom illegally as housemaids as they are cheaper than those who are legal.
“Some of these maids have been known to collaborate with burglars. These women provide all relevant information for criminals to carry out their crimes,” he said, adding that people should be wary of hiring such women.
Tanf Al-Daajani, a judge at the primary court in Makkah, said youths also steal to pay for drugs. “A number of thieves have been found to be drug addicts. They steal because they need money to pay for drugs,” he said, adding that some thieves are part of large gangs.
“Unemployment is a major factor behind the increasing number of thefts. It is crucial we stamp out the problem of illegal residents to eradicate crime in the city,” he added.
According to a recent study, around 9,000 drug-related cases were reported last year in Makkah province, which includes Jeddah. The study, which was carried out by Dr. Ashraf Shilbi, associate professor of psychology at King Saud University of Riyadh, said there has been an annual increase in drug-related crime in the province.
