Curfew violators face jail terms in Saudi Arabia

King Salman on Sunday issued an order imposing a curfew across the Kingdom to control the spread of COVID-19. (File/AFP)
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Updated 23 March 2020
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Curfew violators face jail terms in Saudi Arabia

  • Violators could face a fine of $2,665
  • The Kingdom has 562 cases of coronavirus so far

RIYADH: Violators of Saudi Arabia’s nationwide curfew that started on Monday will face a fine of SR10,000 ($2,665), and repeat offenders could be sent to jail for up to 20 days, the Saudi Ministry of Interior said.
King Salman on Sunday issued an order imposing a curfew across the Kingdom to control the coronavirus outbreak.
A royal court statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said the curfew will start at 7 p.m. and run until 6 a.m. every day for the next 21 days from the evening of March 23, 2020.
The ministry earlier said it will undertake necessary measures to implement the curfew, with civil and military authorities ordered to fully cooperate. 

Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Col. Talal Mashhoud told a news conference, during which 51 new infections were announced, that security forces would enforce the curfew and that if needed “military authorities may be called upon.”
The Kingdom has 562 cases of coronavirus so far.
Saudi Commerce Ministry spokesman Abdulrahman Al-Hussein told reporters that pharmacies, supermarkets and restaurants would offer delivery services during the curfew.
The Ministry of Commerce said all catering and food services, as well as delivery applications, would continue during the curfew to all citizens and residents, adding that it could continue to monitor the market during this period. 
The ministry also said it was investigating a number of violations related to the coronavirus crisis, among them practices aimed at creating a shortage of commodities in the health sector, especially sterilizers and medical masks, as well as violations by some suppliers to raise prices and exploit the crisis.

Meanwhile, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said it would continue to receive air cargo via all airport terminals in the Kingdom around the clock.
The measures include requiring beneficiaries and air freight companies operating in the Kingdom’s airports to apply health and safety precautions.
Since King Salman issued the curfew, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority has rushed to ensure that stocks of pharmaceutical medicines and equipments are readily available.
The authority also began issuing immediate approvals for applications for the registration, manufacture and import of pharmaceutical supplies and sterilizers.


Pakistan minister in Saudi Arabia to attend World Defense Show exhibition 

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Pakistan minister in Saudi Arabia to attend World Defense Show exhibition 

  • Defense Minister Khawaja Asif to attend five-day event featuring global companies specializing in defense, security sectors
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed a strategic defense pact last year formalizing decades of decades of military cooperation 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif arrived in Riyadh this week to attend the five-day Saudi Defense Show exhibition, state media reported, where more than 700 exhibitors are expected to showcase their products. 

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) is organizing the event from Feb. 8-12 in Riyadh, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The event brings together official delegations, government entities and leading international companies specializing in the defense and security sectors. 

GAMI Governor Ahmad Al-Ohali has said the event will feature a comprehensive program, including live air and land demonstrations, static displays and newly developed zones, enhancing opportunities for partnership and integration between Saudi government entities and major national and global defense companies. 

“Defense Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has arrived in Riyadh on the official invitation of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to attend the World Defense Show,” the state-run Pakistan Television News (PTV) said on Saturday. 

It said Asif was received by senior Saudi officials and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Farooq, after arriving in Riyadh. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have strengthened their economic and defense ties in recent years as regional tensions and militant violence escalate. 

The two nations signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17, 2025, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.

The pact was signed during Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s state visit to Riyadh, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

A month later, the two countries complemented their defense pact with an economic cooperation framework to boost trade and investment ties. 

Pakistan regards Saudi Arabia as a critical ally, with the Kingdom hosting over 2.5 million Pakistani expatriates. This makes Saudi Arabia the largest source of remittances for cash-strapped Pakistan worldwide.