RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced a reward for reporting residency or labour violations involving expatriates.

The reward was announced by security authorities to prevent the illegal employment and stays in the country.

“The reward could reach up to 50,000 Saudi Riyals,” Jamaan Bin Ahmad Al Ghamidi, consultant to public security, said at a town hall meeting with officials, tribe leaders, and education and media figures in Al Baha in the south-west of the kingdom.

“There would be zero tolerance towards anyone who employs or harbours any foreigner staying illegally in the country,” he added.

He said that the presence of violators in the country was a high security, economic, social and health risk.

“The campaign has been successful in Al Baha where so far, 1,350 foreigners have regularized their situation in a short time,” he said.

In March, the Saudi authorities gave foreigners staying illegally three months to leave the kingdom without paying fines or facing legal measures.

The grace period was announced on March 19 by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef as part of the “Nation Free of Violators” campaign to help undocumented expatriates regularise their status.