Interior Minister Prince Muhammad Bin Naif announced the updated figure on Tuesday, while also directing security officials to step up their campaign to locate illegal foreigners in the country.

The crackdown has come after a six-month amnesty for illegal workers to rectify their status ended on November 3.

During the amnesty, about 1 million foreigners took advantage of the amnesty, leaving the kingdom without retribution, while a further 4 million legalized their status, according to the government.

However, tens of thousands of people remained in the kingdom claiming they did not have the proper paperwork to either legalize their status in Saudi Arabia or return home.

The security crackdown – authorities have been raiding businesses and public places – has led to the deaths of four people, including an Ethiopian man police admitted shooting dead while attempting to transport him to a deportation center.

Two others, including a Saudi and a man whose nationality has not been disclosed, died during a riot protesting against the raids in a poor suburb of Riyadh.

A Sudanese man also died during a similar riot in the same area several days later.

NJF/NJF