BEGGARS HAVE A CHOICE

The number of beggars in Saudi Arabia swells during Ramadan when Saudis as well as expatriates give generously to the poor and the needy. Many elderly people enter Saudi Arabia to beg during the holy month. It is alleged that some organised criminal groups also bring in old men and women and handicapped children for begging. Capt. Eqab Al-Rubaie, director of operations at the Passport Department in Makkah, said his officers arrested 677 beggars so far this year, adding that they belonged to different nationalities. In southern Asir province, the number of beggars arrested this year reached 23,075. Yemenis accounted for 95 per cent of those arrested, a local press report said, adding that about 3,500 Yemeni child beggars are held every month by specialised agencies in the Kingdom. A study conducted by Muhammad Al-Aji, with the financial support of King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology, found that about 100,000 child beggars roam Saudi streets, with the majority of them coming from Yemen. Others belonged to 17 Asian and African countries.