The National Program to Combat Commercial Concealment in Saudi Arabia announced its annual results for 2025, revealing a package of stringent measures and intensive field efforts aimed at eliminating the shadow economy and promoting a fair competitive environment. These efforts culminated in the imposition of fines totaling SAR 8.69 million on those who violated the regulations.
Field efforts and record numbers in 2025
As part of its ongoing efforts to combat illicit market practices, the program conducted 35,280 inspection visits across various regions of the Kingdom throughout the year. These intensive campaigns, led by the Ministry of Commerce and its partners, resulted in the detection of 1,017 suspected cases of commercial concealment. Furthermore, the inspection teams responded diligently to public reports, addressing 6,373 complaints related to suspected commercial concealment in diverse sectors.
On the judicial and legal front, the program clarified that the cases detected were dealt with firmly, with 724 violations referred to the Committee for Reviewing Violations of the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law for appropriate penalties. The severity of some cases necessitated the direct referral of 47 violations to the Public Prosecution for further criminal proceedings. Sixteen judgments of public shaming were issued during the year, reflecting the Kingdom's deterrent policy against those involved.
Targeted sectors and economic impact
The inspection teams focused their 2025 rounds on vital sectors that typically experience high volumes of commercial transactions, and the most prominent targeted activities included:
- The electrical and electronic equipment sector.
- Clothing accessories and luxuries.
- Central markets and shopping malls.
- Auto parts and maintenance services.
- Decoration installation work.
- Restaurants that provide direct services to the public.
The context of the war on concealment and Vision 2030
These figures and efforts are part of a broader context related to the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which prioritizes eliminating commercial concealment as one of its economic objectives. The strict anti-concealment system aims to protect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from unfair competition imposed by those engaging in such practices, and to ensure that financial transactions remain within the national economy rather than being illicitly transferred abroad.
Commercial concealment, which means enabling a non-Saudi to engage in economic activity for his own account without being licensed to do so, is a crime that causes significant damage to the local economy, including a decline in the quality of services and products, monopolization of some activities, and negatively impacting employment opportunities for citizens.
Penalties and cumulative consequences
It is worth noting that the new anti-concealment system imposes severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to 5 years, fines of up to 5 million riyals, in addition to confiscating illicit funds and deporting non-Saudis from the Kingdom after the penalty is carried out.
In terms of cumulative figures since the launch of the National Program, the total number of inspection visits has reached 302,433, while the total fines imposed on violators from the beginning until the end of 2025 amounted to approximately 68.2 million riyals, which confirms the continuity and determination of the concerned authorities to eradicate this phenomenon from its roots.
