RIYADH — The National Program to Combat Commercial Concealment had conducted as many as 35,280 inspection visits across all regions of Saudi Arabia during the year 2025. These inspections resulted in the detection of 1,017 initial suspected cases of commercial concealment. Investigations were carried out about a total of 6,373 suspected commercial concealment reports involving various commercial establishments. During the year 2025, a total of 724 violations were referred to the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Anti-Concealment Law, with total fines issued against violators amounting to SR8.69 million. During the last year, 47 violations were referred to the Public Prosecution to complete the application of deterrent penalties against violators in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Concealment Law. It is noteworthy that the National Program to Combat Commercial Concealment is a government initiative led by the Ministry of Commerce, launched under Vision 2030, to eliminate illegal practices where Saudi citizens faciliate non-Saudi individuals to run businesses. The program involves extensive inspections across various sectors like retail, engineering, and food, data analysis from multiple government bodies, and imposing strict penalties such as fines, imprisonment, and closure on violators, with incentives for whistleblowers.
