Saudi Arabia reports 50% rise in corruption complaints
Official complaints to the Saudi National Anti-Corruption Commission, Nazaha, went up by 50% in 2018 as the kingdom has increased efforts to combat financial and administrative misconduct.
According to statistics released by the commission, Nazaha received 15,591 reports in 2018 compared with 10,402 the previous year, with financial and administrative corruption cases made up the bulk of the reports.
Investigations have been completed for 59% of the complaints, with 4.4% referred to the Control and Investigation Board, and 3.37% to the kingdom's Presidency of State Security.
Nazaha - which translates to ‘integrity' - was established as an independent authority by royal decree in 2011, and aims to create a work environment of integrity, transparency, honesty, justice and equality.
The commission's smartphone app received 29% of the reports, followed by the website at 23.6%, while 19.2% of the complaints were made in person at Nazaha's branches.
The statistics were released as part of the National Strategy for the Protection of Integrity and Combating Corruption, and Vision 2030.
Saudi Arabia has taken graft seriously in recent years, most visibly with its high profile corruption crackdown that ran from November 2017 to February this year.Officials in Riyadh recently announced they have recovered assets totalling more than $106bn in that anti-corruption crackdown ordered by the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The kingdom has also launched an office to monitor state spending, saying it would help keep up the fight against corruption after the closing of a 15-month crackdown, state media reported.
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