DAMMAM: The office of the Ministry of Social Affairs in Dammam registered about 35 cases of begging by Saudi men and women in the Eastern Province (EP) during the current year, with 14 cases during Ramadan, while most of the arrested beggars were Yemenis.

Abdullatif Al-Naeem, director of the anti-begging committee, said: “The Social Affairs Ministry receives cases of Saudi beggars, while non-Saudis are referred to the security agencies to take legal procedures.”

He said that the committee provides a team consisting of social workers and investigators to examine the financial, social and living standards for Saudi cases, and then refers them to the charities or social security offices according to their needs.

There are intensive campaigns implemented by the Social Affairs Ministry, police forces, Passport Department, and the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Haia) in public places and provinces to catch beggars, Al-Naeem said.

On the high rate of begging cases during Ramadan, Al-Naeem said: “This phenomenon increases significantly during this month because citizens and residents are greatly affected by the imploring of beggars,” confirming that this behavior contributes to the spread of the phenomenon due to poor religious and cultural awareness of the various ways to help the needy.

Community members must urge any beggar to go to the charities to get support and assistance, rather than beg. All charities conduct precise social research for all beneficiaries to determine those who need assistance and help according to specific guidelines, Al-Naeem added.

The tracking of begging networks and violators of the residence and work systems aims to reduce the security risks of them, including the distortion of the general appearance, traffic disruption and exploitation of public sites for housing, selling, or looking for work.