Saudi makes gun sales legal

Wael Mahdi, Foreign Correspondent

• Last Updated: October 20. 2009 4:45PM UAE / October 20. 2009 12:45PM GMT

JEDDAH // Saudi Arabia has said it will allow the sale of personal firearms in an attempt to undercut the illegal arms trade in the kingdom, in a move many see as aimed at militants and Yemeni arms dealers who are benefiting from the current insurgency in Yemen.

The decision, however, has raised concerns that the greater availability of weapons could lead to an increase in violent incidents among ordinary Saudis.

Arms smuggling is on the rise in the kingdom, especially in the south where it is a big business for Yemeni arms dealers who smuggle the arms into neighbouring Saudi, where many of them are sold to al Qa’eda and other anti-government militants.

“Firearms were always smuggled from Yemen in the past, what’s new is that the insurgency in Yemen is allowing for the sale of military arms to al Qa’eda members who recently moved there,” said Samir al Saadi, a journalist and researcher on terrorism.

Yemen has recently become the base for many al Qa’eda militants who fled Saudi Arabia after a clampdown in 2006 as the government reacted to several clashes and bombings that were connected to the terror group. Many fighters, however, have returned through the mountain passages that link the two countries.

Indeed Saudi has witnessed a number of attacks in recent months by al Qa’eda, whose members had entered the country from Yemen. Saudi officials have recently expressed concern that al Qa’eda could take advantage of the unstable situation in Yemen, where the government is battling Shiite rebels close to the Saudi border.

The ministry of interior said in its statement on Saturday it will allow anyone older than 25 with no criminal record and a bank guarantee of 500,000 Saudi riyals (Dh490,000) to apply to open a gun store.

Currently it is not illegal to own a firearm in Saudi Arabia but obtaining a license is a lengthy process as the permit must be issued by the ministry of interior. Guns not bought from illegal traders are generally imported with permission from the authorities.

In the southern Jazan and Assir provinces, carrying a firearm is part of the local culture and many people there do not have permits for their firearms.

“It’s obvious that the government is trying to control the illegal arms business in Saudi,” said Mohammed al Zulfah, a former member of the Shoura Council, the Saudi parliament.

“There are concerns over the spread of arms and its impact on violence, but I think legalising the arms trade is much better than leaving it to brokers.”

Mr al Zulfah, who lives in Assir, said the local culture in his province encourages the carrying of firearms, which are used primarily for celebrations and festivals.

“In the summer, when wedding festivals reach their peak in my town, I was afraid to stay in my garden because of the random shootings every day by neighbours who are saluting the grooms,” he said.

Firearms smuggling is a big business in the south, where people can obtain handguns and even machine guns easily from Yemeni arms brokers who sneak into the country through the mountain passages that traverse the countries’ borders.

“I made half of the payment in Yemen and two days later someone knocked on my door and when I opened it was the same arms broker delivering my gun to my doorsteps,” said a resident of Assir province, explaining how he bought his gun.

Saudi security forces are making raids almost daily on Yemeni smugglers in the south who bring all types of weapons into the country.

Last month, a unit of Saudi National Guards known as the Mujahidin issued a statement saying it had seized a large shipment of weapons – which included hand grenades, explosives, guns and ammunition – in Dafa valley when it intercepted arms smugglers, who fled back to Yemen.

Mr al Zulfah said he is concerned that the wider ownership of firearms after their sale is legalised could lead to an increase in violent incidents in Saudi Arabia, especially in major cities.

“I’m afraid that the culture of violence will intensify if children will see guns in every Saudi home,” he said.

He added that for the most part Saudis do not know how to use guns properly and therefore, “I think the Saudi citizen doesn’t have the right to own a gun”.

Saleh al Khathaln, the vice president of the non-governmental Saudi National Society for Human Rights, said the new law would make little difference as the government already “indirectly” permits the ownership of guns.

“There is no law that says Saudi have the right to own firearms but the government is allowing people to apply for permits if they possess ones, so indirectly they are allowing the ownership of guns,” he said.

There are no official figures on how many guns are privately owned in Saudi Arabia.

In the last six months leading up to July this year Riyadh police said they had seized 1,091 weapons and more than 13,200 pieces of ammunition in the area.

Last month the ministry of interior announced that it will allow Saudis to open shooting clubs.

In Saudi, there is a 1,000 Saudi riyal fine for anyone who carries licensed arms in public places. The unlicensed possession of firearms incurs a punishment of eight months in jail and a 6,000 Saudi riyal fine.

More serious violations, such as using unlicensed firearms, can result in a prison sentence of up to 30 years and a fine of up to 300,000 Saudi riyals.

wmahdi@thenational.ae