Beggars in Saudi Arabia

(Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) Begging in Saudi Arabia is such a problem that a government agency was created to control it.

From KhaleejTimes.com:

Despite the campaign against begging, which had resulted in the arrest of 19,827 male and female beggars of different nationalities including 3,590 Saudis some time ago, the menace persists in the Kingdom's cities.

The Ministry of Social Affairs' Anti-Begging Department intensifies its efforts during the summer season to combat begging, which usually targets tourists around this time.

In Riyadh, the beggars frequent cafes and restaurants, where they target the youth and cemeteries.

They resort to novel ways to play around human emotions and feelings to get money.

Crowds of beggars hang around in groups at cemeteries asking for money from people attending funerals, according to the Arabic daily Al Watan.

It appears that all the government efforts thus far have failed to control the 'menace.' Consequently, crowds of beggars are regularly disrupting funerals and causing traffic jams. Some people believe that criminal gangs are organizing the crowds of beggars and using the money collected for illegal purposes such as drugs.

Oddly, I haven't heard any complaints about the civil liberties of Saudi beggars and panhandlers which is in sharp contrast to the American experience where begging has been interpreted as an exercise in free speech protected by the First Amendment. In fact, any attempt to pass an ordinance in a U.S. city to limit panhandling is likely to be met with strong political opposition or a lawsuit.