Sectors Included Contracting, Auto Spare Parts, Food, Clothes and Hairstyling Salons
In May, the National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program carried out more than 11,300 inspections to verify compliance with market regulations and combat crimes and violations related to the anti-concealment law throughout the Kingdom.
Inspectors relied on suspicious indicators to bust violators. In May alone, a total of 9,089 targeted inspections, 2,027 scheduled visits to specific sectors, and 231 visits prompted by suspicion reports were conducted. These visits were carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority.
During the inspection visits, a wide range of activities were covered, including contracting, automotive spare parts, food and beverages, clothing, footwear, hairstyling salons, and others. Immediate violations were recorded, cases of suspected concealment were identified, and the offenders were referred to the appropriate authorities for verification and enforcement of legal penalties if proven. Penalties under the anti-concealment law can include imprisonment for up to five years, fines of up to five million Saudi riyals, and confiscation of illicit funds following final judicial rulings against the implicated individuals.
There are also supplementary penalties as stipulated by the law, which encompass the closure and dissolution of the business, removal of the commercial registration, prohibition from conducting commercial activities, payment of zakat, fees, and taxes, public exposure, and deportation of the violators with a permanent ban on their return for work.