Saudi King Salman issues royal order to protect whistleblowers in corruption cases

King Salman bin Abdul Aziz has issued a royal order ordering Saudi authorities to provide protection to whistleblowers in corruption cases, after some were mistreated following the submission of such reports, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Chairman of the Saudi National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha), Khalid Al Muhaisen "praised the Royal Order issued by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which stipulates providing adequate protection to employees who report corrupt financial and/or administrative practices," SPA said.
"The employees are not to be threatened regarding job security, benefits or rights. The royal order stipulates that the National Anti-Corruption Commission shall report entities that take disciplinary action against employees or threaten their rights or job benefits if they report corrupt practices to the Commission."
Also read: Saudi starts graft probe of detained princes, top officials
Dr. Al Muhaisen said in a statement that this Order reiterates that King Salman and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "are keen on fighting corruption and protecting the interests of citizens and residents who fulfil their duties and report corruption. They are dedicated to ensuring that these citizens not be subjected to any harm for reporting."
This is "fully in line with Vision 2030, which put transparency, integrity and fighting corruption among its main pillars," he added.
Dr. Al-Muhaisen expressed his gratitude to King Salman "for his limitless generous support of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Nazaha), which has enhanced the commission's work and facilitated its performance in achieving its goals of fighting corruption, preserving national wealth and holding those who violate the laws accountable."

On November 4, 2017, King Salman ordered the launch of a Supreme Anti-Corruption Committee in Saudi Arabia as part of an active reform agenda aimed at tackling a persistent problem that has hindered development efforts in the Kingdom in recent decades. Saudi authorities have said that tens of billions of US dollars had been misappropriated through corruption and embezzlement, spanning several decades.
 
The World Bank's latest corruption-control indicator reflected significant progress in Saudi Arabia's anti-corruption campaign. Nazaha said in October that the Kingdom had improved its score by 18 points in the 2016 indicator, its biggest leap since entering the World Bank indicator report in 1996. According to the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2016 issued by Transparency International, Saudi Arabia is ranked 62nd out of 176 countries.