JEDDAH: Thirty-two people have been arrested in Saudi Arabia as part of a corruption investigation into the illegal transfer of SR11.6 billion ($3.1 billion) out of the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) is taking legal action against those involved.
An official source at Nazaha said that the authority, with the cooperation of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), received information that bank employees received bribes from an organized gang of expats and businessmen to accept cash deposits from unknown sources and then transfer the money out of the Kingdom.
“After conducting field investigations, bank account analysis of the involved commercial entities, and linking them to the customs imports, we found that the deposited cash to the bank accounts of these entities was more than SR11.6 billion and was all transferred abroad,” the source said.
The source added that five expats were arrested while on their way to a bank to deposit more than SR9.8 million in cash.
“Twelve bank employees, seven businessmen, five Saudis, two expats, and a non-commissioned police officer were also nabbed for being involved in bribery, forgery and illegally exploiting their job powers for an illicit financial gain, commercial concealment and money laundering,” the Nazaha source said.
The source said that one businessman set up a number of spurious commercial entities under his own name, and under the names of his wife and son.
According to Nazaha, the businessman opened bank accounts and allowed access to some expats, who used the accounts in exchange for monthly payments. The expats deposited cash from unknown sources and, with the collusion of bank employees, transferred the money abroad.
Bank employees received money and gifts from the expats in exchange for their help, the source said.
The businessman also paid SR300,000 to a noncommissioned police officer, the source said, in exchange for stalling charges against him over suspicious financial dealings that were already under investigation by the police.
“He also paid SR4 million to Saudi mediators for their efforts to stall the same case in the Public Prosecution,” said the source, adding that five other businessmen and a bank branch manager were also detained over similar indictments.
According to the source, a businessman recruited one of the arrested expats and enabled him to work freely inside the Kingdom in exchange for monthly payments.
Talat Zaki Hafiz, founder and member of the Saudi Financial Association, told Arab News: “Since 2017, Saudi Arabia has decided to crack down on corruption and corrupt individuals regardless of who they are or their position in both the government and private sectors.”
He said that a committee set up as part of the crackdown and headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has succeeded in returning more than SR100 billion back to the government as well as fixed assets and other money illegally earned by individuals accused of misconduct.
Hafiz believes this “excellent move” by the government will guarantee justice in the Saudi financial system.
“This will also ensure fair dealings in all our government transactions.”
He explained the term “unknown sources” as money that cannot be traced or confirmed by legal and legitimate sources.
Hafiz said that the corrupt individuals pursued different channels to disguise the original source of the “dirty money.”
“They may create artificial businesses, buy fixed assets and financial securities,” he said.
According to Hafiz, SAMA has granted any bank operating in Saudi Arabia the ability to seize provisions when it suspects fraud or wrongdoing.
Saudi legal consultant Dr. Majed Garoub told Arab News that international treaties and agreements allow countries to trace and confiscate money that has been illegally earned or smuggled outside countries.
“There are international cooperation departments in the Ministry of Interior and Public Prosecution that demand such money. This happens in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after, of course, they (prove) the money has been embezzled or taken illegally,” said Garoub.
This can happen only after a court ruling, he added.
Large amounts of money that have been transferred to bank accounts outside the Kingdom could be regained, said Garoub, but only after long and relatively complicated legal and judicial procedures.
“With their efficiency, the Saudi authorities will be able to get the money back,” he said.
Garoub said that the entire process, including the time needed to regain the funds, depends on the country where the money was sent.
“Different countries have different legal regulations and rules,” he said.
Saudi Arabia arrests 32 in $3bn corruption case
https://arab.news/45p7z
Saudi Arabia arrests 32 in $3bn corruption case
- Five people were arrested while trying to deposit SR9.8 million at a bank
- Bank staff among those held over illegal cash transfers, investigators say
Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba is replaced
- New Kiswa comprises 47 intricately embroidered black silk panels featuring 68 Quranic verses
RIYADH: The annual ceremony to replace the Kiswa of the Holy Kaaba, a tradition that has been carried out for over a century, started on Wednesday.
The Kiswa refers to the black silk embroidered cloth that covers the Holy Kaaba.
As part of a carefully coordinated process, the gilded curtain from the Kaaba door, which measures 6.35 meters in length and 3.33 meters in width, was removed first.
The new Kiswa is currently en route to the Grand Mosque, accompanied by a comprehensive system of logistical and operational support, Saudi Press Agency reported.
A Saudi team of 154 trained craftsmen is overseeing the process and their duties include raising the old Kiswa, detaching the gilded elements, and installing the new Kiswa.
The new Kiswa comprises 47 intricately embroidered black silk panels featuring 68 Quranic verses stitched with 24-karat gold-plated silver threads. The entire Kiswa weighs approximately 1,415 kilograms.
To create the new Kiswa, the team used 120 kilograms of gold-plated silver thread, 60 kilograms of pure silver, 825 kilograms of silk, and 410 kilograms of raw cotton. Additionally, 54 gilded pieces were produced using eight specialized weaving machines within the King Abdulaziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa.
Franco-Saudi music week unites cultures in Jeddah
- French musicians and artists descend on the Kingdom’s second city
- Week-long festivities kicked off coinciding with World Music Day
JEDDAH: A week-long music festival is celebrating the rich artistic ties between France and Saudi Arabia through a series of talks, musical performances and jam sessions in Jeddah.
Having kicked off on World Music Day – June 21 – the Music Week in Jeddah: A Franco-Saudi Celebration runs until June 27 and is hosted by the French Embassy and consulate in Jeddah in partnership with the Alliance Francaise, Art Jameel, Call of Culture, Music Home, Sout Albalad and Siddharta Lounge.
One of the featured events was a DJ session by French artist SONGE at Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar on Tuesday. She told Arab News that through her music she aims “to break boundaries and create inclusive spaces where diverse voices and energies can connect.”
GUITARRAMA, the Ninth Artistic Music and Music Education Forum, hosted at Music Home on Monday, brought together a number of artists and experts.
It was spearheaded by Anouar Kablaoui, instructor at Music Home Higher Institute and founder of the forum.
Kablaoui said: “This ninth edition explores how the guitar, a traditionally Western instrument, is being reimagined within Arabic musical aesthetics, jazz vocabularies and local creative industries.”
The forum also featured Saudi jazz guitarist Aqeel Hussein, who reflected on his personal journey with jazz, beginning at an American university and continuing with his efforts to bring the genre into the Saudi musical landscape since 2004.
“This forum was an opportunity to share my story and the passion that drives me to keep performing and educating through jazz. It’s about showing how music can evolve when it crosses borders, while staying true to its roots,” Hussein told Arab News.
A performance by the student band Zakharef, formed by students of the University of Business and Technology, captured the spirit of the night. The band’s musical debut was a tribute to the Hijazi heritage and the historical charm of Jeddah’s Al-Balad, forming an emotional and lasting moment for both the performers and the audience.
Hayy Jameel is set to host an open jam session with French-Moroccan artist Karimouche on Thursday in collaboration with Hayy Sounds.
The performance promises a dynamic fusion of Eastern melodies, hip-hop, spoken word and beatbox — blending tradition and modernity in a truly global dialogue of sound.
Karimouche, the stage name of French Moroccan artist Karima Amarouche, told Arab News: “It’s an honor for me to participate in the emancipation of women in music here.”
She is known for fusing rap, spoken word, and North African rhythms in songs that explore themes of identity and resistance. She revealed that her Hayy Jameel performance will feature songs from both her latest album “Folies Berberes” and earlier works.
She also shared how her collaboration with Saudi artist Roaa Lam began: “I saw her on Instagram. I listened and thought, ‘Wow, I love this artist. She’s amazing’.”
Karimouche is deeply committed to working with women in music, both in France and abroad. “It’s important for me. There’s a sense of female solidarity. It’s an honor for me to participate in the emancipation of women in music here, and to witness the growing freedom year after year. God willing, I hope to return every year.”
Reflecting on her time in Saudi Arabia so far, she said: “The music scene here is very rich. The collaboration with the all-female band Siham in Riyadh was magical. We created new pieces together and blended our styles. Now, the same is happening here with Roaa.”
Kosh spoke to Arab News about how he imitates instruments with his unique style of beatboxing.
He explained that his journey began in childhood: “When I was a kid, I played with toy cars and made sounds … that evolved into beatboxing.”
Over the years, his talents have taken him to major venues, including the Montreux Festival in France. He now mixes beatboxing with humor, spoken word and live music.
Roaa Lam, the Saudi oud player, told Arab News about how she perceives oud and music: “For me, it’s not composition — it’s emotional storytelling”
Representing Saudi Arabia in the international collaboration, Lam is a self-taught oud player, singer, and composer who brings authenticity and deep emotion to her music.
“I compose music and collaborate with other artists,” she said.
Lam spoke about one of her most meaningful projects: A piece called Kurd Al-Tha’alib (Kurd of the Foxes), which she composed using field recordings of women’s voices in a public garden in Jeddah, before their neighborhood was demolished.
“I used the musical mode ‘Kurd’ and named the piece after the neighborhood that was called Al-Tha’alib before it was torn down,” she said.
The piece was performed at the Feminist Festival in Berlin — a milestone in her growing international presence.
She also reflected on her musical journey: “I’ve been playing oud for about six years. I taught myself. I never studied in a music school — it’s all self-expression. That’s what music is to me.”
Music Week in Jeddah is a creative crossroads. Through the voices of artists, the festival highlights the richness of cultural exchange and the transformative power of music to build empathy, connection and beauty.
As Karimouche put it: “My heart is full. The people here are respectful, kind and creative. I’ve learned so much from the Saudi artists.”
The celebration will conclude on Friday with an energetic Open Mic Night at Hayy Jameel, hosted by Slow Moe and spotlighting the emerging Saudi rap scene. This finale aims to showcase the voices of local youth and their growing impact on the global hip-hop scene.
Reflecting on the celebrations, Larry Lamartiniere, managing director of Alliance Francaise de Djeddah, said: “Alliance Francaise de Djeddah is thrilled to celebrate La fete de la musique alongside its partners. It is an event that transcends borders and brings people together through the universal language of music.”
Mohammed Nehad, consul general of France in Jeddah, said the event is a “powerful symbol of the deepening friendship and cultural cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia,” adding that he hopes it will continue to “energize the local cultural scene in Jeddah.”
Saudi program expands support in rural communities
- Program now has 87,235 beneficiaries across the Kingdom
RIYADH: The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program, known as Saudi Reef, has announced that it now has 87,235 beneficiaries across the Kingdom.
This is a part of efforts to promote economic and social stability in rural areas and support agricultural workers and families involved in cottage industries, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Majed Al-Buraikan, Saudi Reef’s assistant secretary-general for media and communication, said the support from the nation’s leadership has helped to expand the number of beneficiaries and achieve tangible results.
He said this reflects the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to support the agricultural sector and develop rural areas, the SPA added.
Al-Buraikan said the program has several main pillars, including developing agricultural and livestock production, empowering rural women, and supporting small-scale fishermen.
The program also focuses on adding value to products which was key to sustainable rural development and boosting the income of families across the regions, he added.
Al-Buraikan said Saudi Reef continues to provide direct support, training, and certification programs aimed at improving quality of life in rural areas.
This was in addition to increasing the agricultural sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product, in line with the goals of Vision 2030, he said.
Madinah governor receives Iraqi consul general
Madinah Gov. Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz received at his office on Wednesday Mohammed Samir Al-Naqshbandi, consul general of Iraq and permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as his term in the Kingdom comes to an end.
During the meeting, they discussed various topics of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Meanwhile, Fareed bin Saad Al-Shehri, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ branch in Makkah, received Consul General of Singapore Chandra Kumar in Jeddah on Wednesday.
Muharram begins on Thursday: Saudi Supreme Court
RIYADH: Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, will start on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court announced on Wednesday.
The announcement came after the crescent moon was sighted in the Kingdom on Wednesday evening.
The sighting of the crescent marks the start of the Islamic year 1447, a reference to the amount of years that have passed since Prophet Muhammad migrated from Makkah to Madinah.
