RIYADH — Two Saudi citizens and a Syrian have been named and shamed after they were convicted of running an illegal construction and maintenance business in Jeddah, local media reports said on Sunday. Under Saudi laws, a citizen hiring out trade licences without actually being involved in the business (Tasattur) is a crime that invites a fine of up to SR1000,000. The law states that anyone found offering a cover-up to a foreigner to run a business illegally will be held accountable for the crime, have the business shut down, its activity liquidated and its licence revoked. The foreign partner will be deported from the Kingdom and the law also provides for the defamation penalty by publishing the judgment in a local newspaper at the expense of violators. The penalty is the same whether the citizen is an actual partner in the business or a mere nominal sponsor. The fines could multiply, depending on the number of commercial activities involved. A financial reward is granted to the whistle-blowers of commercial crime, amounting to 30 percent of the total fines imposed after collection. The Ministry of Commerce urged all citizens and residents across the Kingdom to report cases of commercial cover-up through the ministry's call center on the toll-free number 1900, at https://mci.gov.sa/C-app, or through the ministry's website.
