Saudi forces foil several drug smuggling attempts

Saudi authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests throughout the Kingdom recently. (SPA)
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Updated 15 June 2025
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Saudi forces foil several drug smuggling attempts

  • Preliminary legal procedures were completed in all cases, and all seized items were handed to the relevant authorities

JEDDAH: Saudi authorities have made numerous drug-related arrests throughout the Kingdom recently, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The General Directorate of Narcotics Control arrested a Yemeni resident in Jeddah for attempting to sell 194,000 amphetamine pills.

Security patrols in Jazan thwarted two smuggling attempts involving 213 kg of qat in Al-Aridah governorate, while in Fifa governorate, 51 kg of qat were seized.

Border Guard patrols in Jazan’s Al-Dayer sector arrested seven Yemenis for smuggling 140 kg of qat.

In Asir’s Al-Raboah sector, patrols foiled an attempt to smuggle 19 kg of hashish and arrested three Ethiopians with 75 kg of qat.

Preliminary legal procedures were completed in all cases, and all seized items were handed to the relevant authorities.

Authorities urged the public to report drug activity by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, or 999 elsewhere. Reports can also be submitted confidentially via email to [email protected] or by calling 995.


Saudi Arabia celebrates Flag Day with displays, special events

Updated 11 March 2026
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Saudi Arabia celebrates Flag Day with displays, special events

  • Nation goes green in show of unity, belonging
  • Current design of the flag, which represents unity and sovereignty, was adopted in 1937

RIYADH: A new art exhibition has opened at King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh, as the country celebrates Flag Day, which fell on Wednesday.

The event, titled “In Love with Green,” is being held in collaboration with the Saudi Art Association and features 20 fine art paintings inspired by the Saudi flag, as well as other cultural and contemporary images and landmarks.

The current design of the flag, which represents unity and sovereignty, was adopted in 1937. It features the Shahada and a sword symbolizing justice and safety, representing the unification of the Kingdom during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

The exhibition, at the library’s services branch and reading halls on Khurais Road, was opened by the library’s Director General Bandar Al-Mubarak and the association’s board chair Hanaa Al-Shibly.

Visitors can attend from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Elsewhere in the country, public spaces and buildings have become a sea of green for Flag Day.

In Al-Baha, government buildings, squares and main roads were decorated with green lighting and national flags were hoisted in public squares.

It was a similar picture in Makkah, where people celebrated the annual show of pride and belonging against a green backdrop.

In Tabuk, authorities installed more than 7,000 flags along roads, squares and bridges, while the region’s landmarks and tunnels were illuminated with green and white lights.

More than 10,000 Saudi flags were also hoisted in Jazan, where Souk Al-Awalin in Jazan City is set to host a range of events and performances to mark the special occasion.