Prisons are experiencing overcrowding due to an increase in the number of inmates and a delay in releasing inmates who have completed their sentences, the Kingdom’s prisons department chief has said.
The number of prisoners in central jails in Riyadh, Makkah and Jeddah is now nearly three times their capacity, local media reported quoting Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harthi.
“The problem has been caused by a failure on the part of the Ministries of Justice and Health, as well as immigration officers and prosecutors, to cooperate with us. They have not taken any measures to ease the pressure on prisons,” he said.
“They continue to send to jail those who have not been sentenced yet and refuse to send those who are ill into quarantine to avert the spread of infection. In addition, many prisoners whose jail terms have expired also still remain in prison.”
Al-Harthi said around 6,300 inmates are currently serving time in Riyadh’s central prison even though the prison can accommodate only up to 1,800 people.
There are also 2,500 and 7,400 inmates at the central prisons of Makkah and Jeddah although they have a maximum capacity of 700 and 2,000 respectively, he added.
A large, modern and spacious prison is being built near the Makkah-Jeddah Highway, set to be the largest in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is planning to integrate an electronic system that connects prison departments with prosecution offices and judiciaries in order to expedite the process of being released on bail or sentencing inmates. A significant number of expatriate workers are languishing in various prisons for road traffic accident-related death, forgery in residency permits and other crimes.
Some of them have completed their sentences but there are delays on the part of the judiciary and sponsors in processing paperwork for release, said Naaz Vokkam, who regularly visits Dammam central prison.
Echoing these views, Mohammed Saleem Basha, an Indian driver who had spent seven years in the Faraj and Khamis Mushait prisons in the southern province and who was released by King Abdullah for paying blood money, told Arab News that prisons in small cities where he had served his sentence are spacious and satisfactory.
According to a report, 47,000 prisoners are lodged in various prisons in Saudi Arabia, of which 23,000 are Saudi, while 24,000 are expatriates. Of the expatriate inmates, 2,158 are Pakistani, 1,691 are Indian, 1,046 Bangladeshi and 1,400 Egyptian.
Foreign diplomatic missions conduct regular visits to prisons. Visitors are also allowed to meet inmates two days a week without mobile phones and any objects inside dress pockets.
Inmates are allowed to continue their education and enroll for vocational training such as electrical repair, plumbing and computing, among other vocations. Inmates are also allowed to pursue sports activity inside the prisons.
All prisons are equipped with hospitals and medical facilities.
Royal pardons granting release are usually implemented during the month of Ramadan. Release can also be contingent upon the memorization of the Qur’an and good conduct.
Prisons overcrowded
Prisons overcrowded

Saudi health minister visits pilgrim who received emergency cardiac surgery in Arafat

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahad Abdulrahman AlJalajel recently visited a Hajj pilgrim who had received emergency cardiac surgery at East Arafat Hospital.
The minister, who is also chairman of the Health Holding Co., made the visit during an inspection tour of healthcare facilities before the pilgrimage begins later this week, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The hospital is one of several medical facilities serving the holy sites during the Hajj.
Man jailed for illegal Hajj pilgrimage operation

- A preliminary ruling sentenced him to one year in prison and imposed a 10,000 riyal ($2,666) fine
RIYADH: A Saudi resident has been jailed for a year for setting up an illegal Hajj operation with the intention of obtaining funds through deception via social media.
The public prosecution referred the defendant to the criminal court after he was found in possession of receipts connecting him to the criminal operation.
A preliminary ruling sentenced him to one year in prison and imposed a 10,000 riyal ($2,666) fine, along with the confiscation of all devices and tools used in the crime.
The public prosecution said the creation of fake Hajj operations was a major crime punishable by detention and added that it would continue to pursue those who broke Hajj regulations.
Meanwhile, Hajj security forces arrested 36 residents who tried to enter Makkah without the correct permits. They were referred to the relevant authority.
KSrelief completes pediatric heart surgery, catheterization project in Aleppo

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s aid agency KSrelief has completed a pediatric cardiac surgery and catheterization program in Syria’s Aleppo, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Volunteer medical workers carried out the project — a part of the Saudi Amal Program for Syrians — which ran from May 16 to 23, the SPA reported.
The teams performed 28 cardiac catheterizations and two open-heart operations.
In addition, 30 diagnostic radiology services were provided, 30 laboratory tests conducted, and medications dispensed to 30 patients.
The project is an extension of the specialized volunteer medical initiatives carried out by KSrelief to help people in Syria.
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief continues food aid to world’s needy

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has provided 2,339 food parcels to vulnerable people in the Syrian Arab Republic and Sudan, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Syrians in Aleppo received 1,339 parcels, while in Sudan’s Blue Nile State 1,000 were delivered for 4,686 people, the report added.
Saudi Arabia continues to provide much-needed aid to communities in crisis across the world, the SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia congratulates Bahrain on election to UN Security Council

- Bahrain will begin its 2-year term as a nonpermanent member of the council on Jan. 1, 2026
- It was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia
RIYADH: Saudi authorities congratulated Bahrain on Tuesday after the nation was elected to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2026-2027.
The election of the country “confirms the international community’s confidence in Bahrain’s ability to contribute effectively to strengthening international peace and security,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
The Kingdom wished Bahrain success in representing the interests of the Arab group of nations within the UN and in carrying out its duties as a member of the council.
Bahrain was elected alongside Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia, all of which will serve two-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
The 15-member Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, consists of five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — plus 10 nonpermanent members elected by the General Assembly to serve staggered, two-year terms. Bahrain and the other newly elected nations will therefore join five existing nonpermanent members whose terms conclude at the end of 2026: Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.