Saudi King orders release of prisoners jailed over debts in Hail

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has pardoned all prisoners in the Hail region, jailed over debts that do not exceed SAR1m, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The order also applies to those who are not involved in criminal cases.

The decision was announced during the king’s visit to Hail, northwest of Riyadh, on November 7.

The king also announced that the government will pay off the debts of those who are unable to repay the amount, SPA added.

During his visit, the king also laid the foundation stone for a “number of development projects” in the region, the report said, without providing the specific details.

جانب من وصول #خادم_الحرمين_الشريفين لمنطقة حائل.#صور_واس pic.twitter.com/VzsyTP33cF

— واس (@spagov) November 7, 2018

King Salman, who embarked on a week-long domestic tour on Tuesday, announced similar initiatives during his previous stop in the Qassim region.

He also inaugurated more than 600 projects worth over SAR16bn ($4.26bn) during the visit to Qassim.

The development projects cover education, housing, roads, environment, water, electricity, public services and other areas, SPA reported.

Read more: Saudi king to inaugurate $4.26bn of projects in Qassim

King Salman’s tour across the country is his first such trip since the 82-year-old acceded to the throne of the kingdom in 2015.

Also read: Saudi king to take week-long domestic tour, launch new projects