Scores of shuttered stores and restaurants greeted Jeddah residents on Thursday as the country’s security agencies intensified their crackdown on illegal expatriates.

The owners of these establishments are wary of keeping their stores open because they fear being raided. Many of them are waiting for their workers to transfer their sponsorships, or searching for workers seeking new employers.

Police arrested several workers during raids on stores and restaurants in south Jeddah. Several restaurant supervisors told Arab News that the first phase of the labor raids targeted small restaurants and stores.

Ali Haddad, a Syrian supervisor at a Jeddah restaurant, said: “We closed our restaurant to avoid the labor raids which have seen many restaurants shut down around us. It’s hard to transfer the sponsorship of all our workers. Given the situation, we may have to keep the restaurant closed for a long time.”

Hani Shareef, who has a cafe, told Arab News: “We could not transfer the sponsorships of some workers because they had problems during the amnesty period. I let them off after I closed my shop. I am currently looking for new workers who can transfer their sponsorship without any problem.”

Ali Omer, a Saudi living in Jeddah, said: “I have a store selling mobiles in south Jeddah. I’ve closed my store and am looking for a new worker willing to transfer his sponsorship. I know it is hard to find someone willing to do this and earn SR1,000 a month. But I have no other solution.”

Saudis have welcomed the enforcement of the new labor laws to regulate the foreign labor work force in the country following the end of the grace period.