Crime increases by 109% in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Justice Saudi Arabia has released figures, which indicate that crime rates have increased by 102 percent in the Kingdom. Incidence of crimes has gone up from 10,904 cases in 2012 to 22,113 cases in 2013. In the first six months of this year, the Kingdom has seen a surge in criminal cases, compared to the same period last year. Khaled Al-Bishr, a former official at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, said crime statistics must be compared to population figures to ascertain discrepancies in crime rates as compared to those of previous years. “A host of factors contribute to an increase in crime, such as climate, affiliations, attitudes and a number of other issues,” he noted. Studies have shown that crime rates increase during the summer season, while lower altitude areas report a greater number of crimes compared to mountainous regions, Al-Bishr added. The presence of different cultures and races in one region is another factor to take into account when comparing crime rates, he pointed out. Cultural and racial differences are other factors that should be taken into account, he said.