عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Gulf

Saudi Arabia: Former Public Security Director Convicted of Corruption

The ministry affirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to protecting public funds and combating corruption in all its forms. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The ministry affirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to protecting public funds and combating corruption in all its forms. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia: Former Public Security Director Convicted of Corruption

The ministry affirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to protecting public funds and combating corruption in all its forms. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The ministry affirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to protecting public funds and combating corruption in all its forms. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced on Friday that a final ruling had been issued confirming the conviction of former Public Security Director General Lt. Gen. Khaled bin Qarar Al-Harbi for crimes including bribery, forgery, and abuse of power. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, fined one million Saudi riyals, and ordered to return embezzled funds.

The ministry’s statement pointed to a royal order to terminate Al-Harbi’s service, retire him, and investigate him for numerous violations aimed at seizing public funds and personal gain. He was charged with several crimes, including forgery, bribery, and abuse of power. The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority began investigating the former official and referred him to the appropriate court under the criminal procedures system.

A final ruling was issued against Al-Harbi, confirming his guilt on two counts: bribery and forgery. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined one million riyals, to be deposited into the state treasury.

He was also convicted of exploiting his official position for personal benefit, involvement in government contracts, and embezzling public funds. For these crimes, he received an additional 10-year prison sentence, and the bribes he received, totaling SAR10,084,303, were confiscated and deposited into the treasury.

Additionally, Al-Harbi was ordered to return the embezzled amount of SAR2,827,000 to the state treasury. Gifts and other financial aid amounting to SAR175,000 given to his relatives as bribes were also confiscated, along with two agricultural lands he had obtained through these crimes. Furthermore, he was ordered to return another SAR584,000 to the treasury that he had acquired from these offenses.

The ministry affirmed the Saudi government’s commitment to protecting public funds, combating corruption in all its forms, and safeguarding society from those who exploit their positions for personal gain or to harm public interests. It emphasized that the legal systems would be applied to violators, regardless of their position or status.

Most Viewed

 
 
Gulf

Chinese Premier: Major Boost in Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
TT
TT

Chinese Premier: Major Boost in Cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Chinese Foreign Ministry)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang voiced hopes for China and Saudi Arabia to continue strengthening their development strategies and expand cooperation in various fields.

He also stressed the need to keep deepening ties between the two nations and boost Chinese-Gulf and Chinese-Arab relations. Li made the comments during his official visit to Riyadh, which began on Tuesday.

The premier expressed his pleasure at visiting Saudi Arabia and delivered warm greetings and best wishes to the Saudi government and its welcoming people.

He also noted the strong historical friendship between the two countries, despite their distance.

Li highlighted the long history of Chinese and Arab civilizations, noting their connection through the Silk Road over 2,000 years ago. He said that, over the past 34 years since diplomatic ties were established, both cultures have significantly contributed to global progress.

The premier noted the significant progress in China-Saudi relations, attributing it to strong cooperation between both countries, which serves as a model for China-Arab and South-South cooperation.

He also recalled President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022, where Xi attended three major summits: Saudi-China, Gulf-China, and Arab-China.

During this visit, Xi and King Salman signed a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement,” and a “High-Level Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee” was created, with meetings held alternately in each country.

Li noted that China and Saudi Arabia have been working for over a year to implement key summit agreements, boosting political trust and balanced cooperation across various areas.

He emphasized their close coordination on regional and global issues, which has strengthened their strategic partnership and advanced Chinese-Gulf and Chinese-Arab relations.

Trade and investment between China and Saudi Arabia have surged over the last few years. In 2023, China invested $16.8 billion in Saudi Arabia, up from $1.5 billion in 2022. Saudi investments in China reached 75 billion riyals.

Trade between the two countries hit $97 billion last year, with Saudi Arabia exporting $54 billion worth of goods to China and importing $43 billion. China has been Saudi Arabia’s top trading partner for the past decade.

In education, Saudi Arabia recently added Chinese language courses to its schools and hired 171 Chinese teachers. Additionally, 100 Saudi teachers are studying in China to earn master’s degrees in teaching Chinese.