As part of MCI Inspection Campaigns to prosecute those violating the Law of Anti-Commercial Concealment
MCI inspection campaigns had detected a commercial concealment case in a restaurant in the northern region, Rafha. MCI inspectors had detected a number of documents and physical evidences proving the involvement of an expatriate of Arab nationality in managing such restaurant, aided by a female citizen, through exploiting her name and commercial registration against a monthly lump sum. The case was referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to complete the legal procedures and then to be referred to the Bureau of Grievances to issue the final judgment.
Upon inspecting the site, seals and original power of attorney were detected with the expatriate, who was actually in charge of managing the restaurant. All parties were asked to attend the Ministry, and it turned out that the expatriate is the real owner of the restaurant, since he is paying the site rent and labors wages, as well as he confessed paying a monthly lump sum to the female citizen in return of the commercial concealment and for enabling him of using her name and her CR without any supervision or follow up from her part.
This comes at the time when the Ministry has been carrying out a comprehensive inspection campaign for combating the commercial concealment in various regions of the Kingdom, where the Ministry had detected a number of violations in that regards, and the necessary procedures had been taken, which may reach to two years' imprisonment and a fine of one million riyals per violator, and deporting the non-Saudis from the Kingdom.
It is worth mentioning that MCI is making defamation in the local newspapers periodically against the violators at their own expense, in addition to other penalties and fines including the closure and liquidation of the trade activity, as well as writing off the Commercial Registration and the prevention of practicing the same business for five years.
MCI would like to urge all citizens to report about any commercial concealment case, if the evidence is found, through the toll free number 1900, or through the application of a Commercial Notification, since the Ministry grants a financial reward to the collaborator in such cases, not exceeding 30% of the value of the adjudged fines after collection.