The National Program for Combating Commercial Concealment conducted 1,519 inspection visits across various regions of the Kingdom during August 2025, based on indicators and signs of suspected concealment practices.
The visits aimed to verify the compliance of commercial establishments and detect violations and offenses under the Anti-Concealment Law. The inspections covered several activities, most notably: retail sales of nuts, coffee, and spices; retail sales of dates; central markets for food and consumer goods; men’s clothing retail; grocery stores; and retail sales of footwear, among others.
During the inspections, 73 cases of suspected commercial concealment were detected, and violators were referred to the competent authorities for investigation and the imposition of deterrent penalties.
Penalties under the Anti-Concealment Law include imprisonment of up to five years, fines of up to five million riyals, and the seizure and confiscation of illicit funds after final judicial rulings against those involved. Additional statutory penalties also apply, including: closure of the establishment, liquidation of the business, cancellation of the commercial registration, prohibition from engaging in commercial activity, collection of zakat, fees, and taxes, defamation (public disclosure of violations), and deportation of concealed workers with a ban on their return to the Kingdom for employment.