JEDDAH: Makkah governorate has uncovered major fraud at gas stations in the region involving Saudis and expatriates colluding to set up cover-up businesses and the mixing of 95 and 91 octane gas to make more money.

According to a report in a local publication, the governorate has written a letter to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry alleging that Saudis were charging expatriates huge sums to rent their gas stations.

These expatriates were then adding 91 to 95 gas to ensure higher yields so that they can make more money to pay their rentals to their Saudi sponsors. The governorate has reportedly recommended that expatriates identified should have their bank accounts checked.

It also urged the ministry to review the terms and requirements to open a gas station, and to launch awareness campaigns that cover-up businesses were forbidden by Islamic law. Members of the public should report such wrongdoing, the governorate urged.

There are 9,000 gas stations across the Kingdom, with 90 percent are owned by individuals. An estimated 70 percent are run by foreigners as cover-up businesses in collusion with Saudis, according to the report.

In addition to mixing the two types of gasoline, the governorate said the workers also tamper with the calibration of the counters.

It called for the establishment of an independent body to examine the quality of the gasoline.