Saudi ministry launches corrective period for anti-concealment law

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Under a new initiative, businesses in the Kingdom that are considered involved in "commercial concealment" are given six months to correct their status. (Supplied photo)
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Updated 04 March 2021
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Saudi ministry launches corrective period for anti-concealment law

  • Businesses in the Kingdom that are currently engaged in "commercial concealment" are given six options to correct their status until Aug. 23

JEDDAH: The National Program for Combating Commercial Concealment announced the start of a corrective period for violators of the system, ending on Aug. 23 after a six-month time frame.

“The corrective period of the anti-concealment law began. Those wishing to correct the situation of their businesses can apply electronically and benefit from the advantages of the corrective period and exception from the penalties stipulated in the law,” said a statement on the ministry’s website.

Regulations for correcting legal status relating to commercial concealment, as approved by the Ministry of Commerce, involve six options.

Violators can allow the entry of a non-Saudi partner into a business, or register the ownership of a facility in the name of a non-Saudi, after they fulfill the legal requirements for ownership.

Another option is to continue practicing business activity by introducing a new partner — a Saudi or licensed foreign investor — and registering the change with the Ministry of Commerce.

A Saudi violator can sell or waive a facility, while a non-Saudi violator can obtain the privileged iqama and complete a correction of status by taking advantage of the iqama benefits.

A final option in the corrective period lets a non-Saudi leave the Kingdom permanently through a final exit visa after submitting a pledge to abandon previous business rights, and announcing this through the means specified by the Ministry within a period not exceeding 30 days.

The new corrective regulations also state that an exemption from penalties will not include violators who were arrested before submitting a request to resolve their situation, or those who were referred to the Saudi Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution before submitting their request.

The request to correct a business status will be reviewed to verify that it meets the necessary requirements, and the applicant will be informed of the result within 90 days. The Ministry can extend this period in the event that it is incomplete based on acceptable reasons and justifications.

If a correction to an establishment’s status is incomplete, the applicant will be required to complete other corrective procedures within 180 days from the expiry date of the first deadline.

Talat Hafiz, a Saudi economist, financial analyst, and board member of the Saudi Financial Association, said commercial concealment is a major financial crime in the business environment of any country, including the Kingdom, “since it works against fair and unjustifiable commercial trading and causes significant harm to the economy and to its gross domestic product.”

He said: “The government of Saudi Arabia has been alerted to such risks and consequences of commercial concealment, and has introduced a very powerful national program to combat such economic and commercial disease by implementing the National Program for Combating the Commercial Concealment.”

Also known as the national anti-commercial concealment (Tasattur) program, the initiative aims to combat all types of commercial concealment by enforcing a number of measures and actions, including a gradual requirement for all business outlets to use electronic payment systems in their trade activities.

“This will give the consumer the choice to use different means of payment, in addition to cash payments,” Hafiz said. “This is part of the program’s initiative, under the title ‘Obliging shops and outlets to provide electronic payment systems.’”

In cases where these regulations are violated, stern measures and penalties will be imposed.

The procedures are part of the recommendations and directives of the Saudi leadership, Hafiz said, and are relevant to combating commercial concealment through the consolidation of efforts among several government sectors.

The program’s primary mission is to regulate financial transactions and eliminate the illegal remittance of funds.

“The program was launched by the Ministry of Commerce in Saudi Arabia to limit the spread of commercial fraud and to ensure legal commercial trading in the country,” Hafiz said.

“The participants in the National Program for Combating the Commercial Concealment continue to work together, consolidate efforts and coordinate among each other for the implementation of the program’s recommendations.”

Each authority will carry out its own designated tasks, taking into consideration the fulfillment of the program’s objectives. Evaluations and assessment will be completed by every concerned authority during all implementation stages of the program.

The program ensures that all commercial businesses in Saudi Arabia are legally run and are established in accordance with Saudi commercial law and legal regulations.

“Such programs will limit cases of money laundering, because a well and legally established business doesn’t need to wash its money, and clean it up to converted money that looks and seems that is coming and generated from legal sources,” Hafiz said.

A recent example of commercial concealment crime involved a Saudi citizen and two expats. They were handed severe sentences following questioning by the Saudi Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution.

The Saudi national established two businesses and enabled two men hailing from Africa to handle illicit money for transfer abroad in exchange for payment.

Following the investigation, authorities handed the fraudsters prison sentences for periods of no less than 16 years and fines of no less than SR168,000 ($44,793).

Authorities also seized SR739,990,490 in assets from the three, and imposed a travel ban and prohibited the Saudi national from practicing commercial activity for five years.

Public prosecution handed down an order to deport the two expats following the completion of their prison sentences. On top of this, the accomplices will have their commercial registrations canceled, and are required to collect due Zakat taxes and fees.

The judgment of the case will also be published in two local newspapers, while the illegal funds will be tracked abroad through statutory procedures.


Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

Updated 03 July 2025
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Turaif traces historical, cultural mosaic to pre-Islamic era

  • Evidence of Stone Age settlements in the region
  • Has Tapline, Kingdom’s first industrial heritage site

TURAIF: Located in Saudi Arabia’s Northern Borders region, Turaif governorate stands as a crossroads of ancient civilizations and a gateway to Iraq and the Levant.

The governorate is home to a range of rich cultural and heritage sites, many of which date back to pre-Islamic times.

Heritage Commission sign board at the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, located 40 kilometers southwest of Turaif governorate. (SPA)

Among the most prominent heritage landmarks is the archaeological site of Qasr Duqrah, situated 40 km southwest of the governorate.

Adjacent to it lies a mountain known as Aqran, also referred to as Duqrah Mount, which has been recorded under the Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Program.

Zahi Al-Khalawi, a member of the Saudi Historical Society, said the site is among the Kingdom’s most significant archaeological locations because there is evidence of human settlements dating to the Stone Age.

He said habitation at the site continued through the later Roman period (2 to 6 centuries C.E.) and persisted into the Umayyad era (661 to 750 C.E.).

Another landmark is the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, or Tapline, one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant industrial heritage sites.

The pipeline stretches from the east of the Kingdom to its north, passing through Turaif, and has been registered in the National Industrial Heritage Register.

Known as the Tapline, this oil pipeline stretches from eastern Saudi Arabia to the northwest, passing through Turaif. (SPA)

It is the first documented industrial heritage site in the Kingdom, representing the early stages of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry and its developmental and economic significance.

Also noteworthy is the culturally significant site of Qaru Turaif, a water source developed by the Tapline Co. in the 1950s to help settle nomadic communities by order of the late King Abdulaziz.

To the east of Turaif, about 25 km away, stands Jabal Umm Waal, a historic landmark and northern gateway into the Arabian Peninsula.

The mountain tells the stories of Bedouin life and the passage of trade caravans and pilgrims traveling from the Levant and Iraq. For centuries, it served as a safe route for travelers making their way southward.

 


Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli minister’s call for sovereignty over occupied West Bank

  • Kingdom’s foreign ministry said the move would violate international laws

RIYADH: A government minister’s threat for Israel to apply full sovereignty over the occupied West Bank was strongly condemned by Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom “condemned and denunciated” the statement made by the Israeli official calling for the imposition of sovereignty over the Palestinian territory.

Such action would be a violation of international law, the statement said. Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to expand settlements on Palestinian land, the ministry added, while reiterating the Kingdom’s position on the importance of Israel abiding by international resolutions.

The statement followed comments from Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin saying “the time has come” for Israel to apply sovereignty across the West Bank.

Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and has built dozens of settlements, deemed illegal under international law, across the territory.

The Saudi foreign ministry offered its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights and in establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

 


Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi ministry recalls faulty chargers over fire risk

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Commerce has announced the recall of 88,518 Anker portable chargers across multiple models due to a potential internal electrical short circuit that may cause overheating and pose a fire risk.

The ministry urged consumers to immediately stop using the affected products and contact Anker at the toll-free number 8008500030 to arrange a replacement or full refund, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

Consumers can check if their device is included in the recall and start the replacement or refund process by visiting anker.com/mmrc2506.

Users are also advised to verify the model number of their charger against the list of affected products on the Defective Products Recall Center website ecalls.sa.

The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety and stressed the importance of promptly addressing product defects to prevent potential hazards.


GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Updated 02 July 2025
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GCC passports departments chiefs hold meeting

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi participated in the 39th Meeting of the Directors-General of Passports of the GCC countries, held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh.

During the meeting, he reviewed the latest developments, including the Gulf visa project.

The passport departments of the interior ministries of GCC countries, through a series of joint meetings, are making efforts to launch a unified tourist visa project in the near future, the General Secretariat said in a report.

“Everyone is working as one team to keep pace with technological developments and security requirements in a world characterised by rapid change,” Albudaiwi said.


Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. (AFP)
Updated 02 July 2025
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Saudi FM discusses regional developments in call with US secretary of state

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a phone call with his US counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

During the call, Prince Faisal and Rubio reviewed US-Saudi relations and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between their countries. The latest regional and international developments were also discussed.