The Ministry of Social Affairs has begun closing its anti-beggary offices all over the country and turning them into Social follow-up offices prior to issuing new regulations to end the beggary menace. The new regulations, according to sources, eliminate punishment against beggars and include the formation of a committee tasked with pursuing Saudi and foreign beggars with members from the Social Affairs, the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, police patrols and the departments of Investigation, Preventive Security and Passports in addition to district centers. The committee will carry out concerted campaigns. Anti-beggary offices in Dammam, Makkah and Taif have already been turned into social follow-up offices which will receive Saudi beggars arrested by the committee, study each case separately and deal with it according to set standards.
