Cairo: Saudi Arabia launched a crackdown on beggars who always take advantage of the Muslim holy month and characteristics charity for the illegal practice.

According to the General Directorate of Public Security, the police of Saudi Arabia have now started arresting beggars and referring them to competent agencies for violating the rules of the country and its system.

At the same time, authorities of Saudi also urged residents and citizens that they use legal channels to ensure the delivery of their donations to the needy.

Last year in 2021, Saudi Arabia launched the state-sponsored platform Ihsan (Charity), allowing would-be supporters to make donations via smartphone apps and choose preferred categories of assistance.

“Designated penalties will be applied to anyone arrested while begging, inciting, collaborating with or assisting the offender, or handling this in any form,” said Brig. Sami Al Shwairek, a spokesman for the directorate.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia began enforcing a law that makes begging punishable by up to a year in prison, a fine of up to SR100,000, or both. Foreign offenders who serve their sentences in Saudi Arabia face deportation and are barred from re-entry.

Dr. Ibrahimi Al-Jarwan, a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences and chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society, announced the beginning of the holy month of Muslims, “Ramadan” in Saudi Arabia is all set to take place on Saturday, April 2, 2022.

According to Al-Jarwan that most the countries of Arabic and Islamic nations will likely start Ramadan on this date.

However, they extended the limit of fasting, and now it is 14 hours, starting with 13 hours and 40 minutes and reaching 14 hours and 20 minutes at the end of Ramadan, Al-Jarwan added.

According to Al-Jarwan, Ramadan 2022-1443 in Saudi Arabia is expected to last 30 days until May 1, which means that the Eid Al Fitr would most likely fall on Monday, May 2, 2022.