The truth of the matter is that this is related to the increased black market of work visas, since those who are committing these crimes are flown into the Kingdom with no specific jobs to go to.
For this we must blame some unscrupulous Saudi nationals who apply for a huge number of visas on the premise that they need to recruit all these manual laborers for their own businesses.
Indeed, these laborers are then sent out by their sponsors to fend for themselves in securing jobs, while they must also pay a monthly stipend to their sponsor regardless of their employment situation, or else they will face deportation.
Those who do not find work to support themselves and pay the monthly stipend, are often forced into a life of crime — burglary, mugging, trade in illegal substances, and sometimes even murder.
They lead a life of crime so they can make some kind of living and avoid deportation.
Therefore, these unscrupulous sponsors are in fact dealing in the human trade and causing great harm to our society.
As the crimes continue, the local authorities do little to regulate and closely scrutinize sponsors who demand hundreds of visas for foreign laborers.
Punishment for those who get caught is a mere SR5,000 fine or a five-month prison term. This is in no way a just penalty for the criminal offense of violating Saudi society and its economy.
Local authorities should indeed take sterner and severe measures against sponsors who unlawfully buy unjustifiable visas for laborers. Maybe they should even be publicly exposed and humiliated in local newspapers as a deterrent to other offenders.
That is, if we are really serious about tackling this worrisome crime wave in our country.
