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The Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority known as Nazaha conducted 2,338 inspection tours in July 2026 as part of its mandated duties to combat graft, according to a statement the body released. These oversight actions led to the investigation of 430 suspects on related criminal charges with 131 of them placed under arrest, Nazaha reported. Some of those detained were subsequently released on bail while proceedings continued, the authority added in its summary of monthly operations. The statement distributed on Saturday outlined the full scope of activity without identifying individual cases or providing names of those involved.
Nazaha’s announcement detailed that the suspects included public employees drawn from multiple government bodies with the ministries of Interior, Defense, Foreign Affairs, Health, and Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing featuring in the tally. Bribery and exploitation of official positions formed the core of the offenses under scrutiny, according to the authority’s breakdown. The data from Nazaha places the bulk of its July enforcement actions within these key sectors of the Saudi government apparatus. No additional specifics on the nature of individual violations appeared in the public release.
The authority’s statement on the July crackdown made clear that its inspection tours formed the foundation for initiating criminal cases that were then referred for full investigation. Nazaha has issued comparable monthly updates throughout 2026 with each one documenting the number of tours completed alongside resulting probes and detentions. This structured reporting allows tracking of enforcement patterns over time, the body has indicated in prior communications. August 1 marked the scheduled disclosure for the previous month’s figures.
A similar statement covering May 2026 from the same authority reported investigations into 480 suspects and the arrest of 160 employees on comparable charges of bribery and position abuse, according to official posts carried across Saudi news platforms. The July figures therefore show a modest decline in both categories while the volume of inspection tours remained substantial. Nazaha has maintained this cadence of public disclosures to demonstrate consistency in its anti-graft mandate since its expanded powers took effect.
The Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority operates under a framework established by royal decree that empowers it to pursue cases across all levels of public administration, Nazaha’s own descriptions of its role confirm. Its activities regularly intersect with the public prosecution which decides on formal charges following the initial probes and arrests. In the July operations the authority focused exclusively on domestic public sector violations without reference to cross-border elements or private sector partners. The statement concluded the summary of actions taken during the month without projecting future targets or detailing internal procedures.
