Labor Ministry officials, accompanied by police, carried out massive raids in Riyadh and Jeddah on Sunday and arrested several residency and labor rule violators, security sources said.

The raids covered mobile phone shops east of Riyadh, said Khaled Al-Shammari, director of labor inspections in the capital. “The raids were aimed at tracking down violators of iqama and labor regulations,” he said.

He said the legalization process embarked on by Saudi authorities in recent months has reduced the number of violators to the minimum. “Most of the projects are now being carried out in accordance with labor regulations.”

The labor squad raided 66 shops and found 14 violators of Article 38 of the Labor Law, Al-Shammari said, adding that they could not find any violators of Article 39 of the Labor Law.

“This means the practice of foreigners working at firms not owned by their sponsors has decreased considerably. This is a good sign,” he said.

The raids in Riyadh started soon after taraweeh prayers on the directives of Abdullah Al-Olayan, director general of the Labor Ministry’s branch office in Riyadh.

In Jeddah, labor officials raided shops in various parts of the city and checked documents of contract workers.

Meanwhile, the Civil Defense Department closed 22 shops, identified 123 violations and cut off electricity supply to 19 shops during the past month, said Brig. Salim Al-Matrafi, director of Civil Defense in Jeddah.

He said the department has imposed SR1.2 million in fines on businesses in the industrial region and south Jeddah.

“We will continue our campaign to find out violators and ensure protection of public life and property,” Al-Matrafi said, while urging the public to follow safety rules and regulations.

The department’s campaign covers petrol stations, warehouses, industries, workshops and marriage centers.