Saudi Arabia is determined to rid itself of undocumented foreign workers to maintain the Kingdom’s security and the integrity of its labor market, said Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar on Tuesday.

“We have taken legal measures to put an end to this phenomenon (of illegal workers) within a specific period,” he said.

Addressing prominent scholars and senior Saudi officials, he said the Kingdom had given illegal workers enough time to correct their residency and labor status.

“We’ll continue this campaign until all foreigners in the Kingdom hold valid residence permits.” The governor said the move would also help protect the rights of foreigners.

Prince Khaled defended the Kingdom’s campaign against illegals. “We are not the only country in the world applying this system. All other countries do the same to ensure their security. All foreigners in other countries hold legal residence permits,” he said.

He said the campaign was not targeting any particular community. “It targets all foreigners in the Kingdom who violate its residency and labor rules,” he said.

The governor downplayed the riots caused by illegal Ethiopian workers in Riyadh as an isolated incident in a small part of the city. “We were able to contain the situation with the support of citizens and security officers. Only three people — a Saudi and two illegal workers — died in the incident.”

Prince Khaled said many illegals have surrendered and efforts are under way to deport them in coordination with their country’s embassies. He said foreign media outlets carried incorrect information on the campaign.

The governor said the police had to work hard to track down huge numbers of undocumented workers. “Security officers have been instructed to deal decently with these workers.” He said the Kingdom has arranged suitable shelter for the illegal workers.

Speaking about some of the negative effects of the raids such as rising prices of goods and services, Prince Khaled said: “We are coordinating with the Commerce Ministry to make sure it does not affect the market and the supply of adequate amounts of foodstuffs and other essential commodities.”