Saudi Arabia arrests 174 government employees over corruption charges, newspaper reports

Saudi Arabia's Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, known as Nazaha, arrested 174 government employees over corruption charges following inspection tours, Saudi Gazette reported on November 1. Some of those detained were later released on bail, the newspaper said.

Those arrested worked for four ministries: Interior, Education, Commerce, and Municipalities and Housing, according to the report. It did not give a breakdown of arrests by ministry.

The arrests followed a broader programme of oversight visits. Saudi Gazette said Nazaha officials carried out 2,662 visits during October, which led to investigations into charges involving 454 employees.

The newspaper reported the investigation and arrest totals separately. It did not specify the dates or locations of the arrests, or say how many of the 174 employees had been released on bail.

Saudi Gazette also reported that Nazaha had begun criminal and administrative cases during the previous month. It described that work as part of the authority's efforts to strengthen integrity within government bodies and tackle corruption.