Saudi police announced the arrest of two foreign visitors for robbing a resident expatriate at knifepoint before they could leave the kingdom.

Details of the Arrest

The arrests were made by the police in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, in coordination with Riyadh police as the pair attempted to leave the Kingdom. The offenders are two Syrian nationals on visit visas, according to a security statement.

Incident Overview

They had appeared in a video clip attacking a Pakistani expatriate and robbing him of his possessions, the statement said. It was not clear when the attack occurred.

Recent Crime Arrests in Saudi Arabia

Recent months have seen a series of arrests in Saudi Arabia related to various crimes and acts of violence.

• Last month, Saudi police arrested 14 expatriates in Riyadh suspected of involvement in stealing copper cables worth over SR8 million. The suspects were identified as 12 resident Pakistanis and two Afghan nationals. They stole cables worth SR8.3 million from buildings under construction and warehouses in Riyadh, using stolen vehicles in their crimes, according to a police statement.
• In May, Saudi police arrested a Turkish resident suspected of arson in Mecca. The man appeared in a video clip setting two parked cars on fire in a public place.
• Also in May, police arrested several Bangladeshi expatriates in connection with public violence in Riyadh.
• In October, Saudi police arrested six women who appeared in a video engaged in a fistfight in a public place in the city of H’ail in northwestern Saudi Arabia.