Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The spatial distribution of crime and population density in Saudi Arabia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Aims and scope

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between crime and place across the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia using geographic information systems techniques based on population density, identifying and visualising the spatial distributions of national and regional crime rates for drug crimes, theft, murder, assault, alcohol and ‘outrageous crimes’ (offences against Islam) over a 10-year period from 2003 to 2012. Social disorganisation theory was employed to guide the study and explain the diversity in patterns in crime across the country. The highest rates of overall crimes were identified in the Northern Border and Jizan areas, located in the north and south of the country, respectively, while the East Area has the lowest crime rate. Most drug offences occurred in Northern Borders and Jizan, high rates of theft were recorded in Northern Borders, Jouf and Makkah, while the highest rates of homicide occurred in Asir.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler, F. 1983. Nations not obsessed with crime, vol. 50. Littleton, CO: FB Rothman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Algaber, N., A. Tapp, and A. Joinson. 2016. Understanding driving anger in Saudi Arabia: A cognitive approach. In Proceedings of the Eighth Saudi students conference in the UK, pp. 661–668.

  • Algahtany, M., L. Kumar, and H.M. Khormi. 2014. Spatio-temporal changes on crime patterns in Saudi Arabia from 2003 to 2012. GSTF Journal of Law and Social Sciences 41: 11–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Algahtany, M., L. Kumar, and H. Khormi. 2016. Are immigrants more likely to be involved in criminal activity in Saudi Arabia? Open Journal of Social Sciences 403: 170–186. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss201643023.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ali, B.E.D. 1985. Islamic law and crime: The case of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice 9(2): 45–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alrashed, M., and A. Alunizan. 2012. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia facts and numbers, 1st ed. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Geological Survey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barclay, E.M., J.F. Donnermeyer, and P.C. Jobes. 2004. The dark side of gemeinschaft: Criminality within rural communities. Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal 6(3): 7–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boessen, A., and J.R. Hipp. 2015. Close-ups and the scale of ecology: Land uses and the geography of social context and crime. Criminology 53: 399–426. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-912512074.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brantingham, P.J., and P.L. Brantingham. 1991. Introduction: The dimensions of crime. In Environmental criminology, 2nd ed, ed. P.J. Brantingham, and P.L. Brantingham, 7–26. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brantingham, P.J., and P.L. Brantingham. 2008. Crime pattern theory. In Environmental criminology and crime analysis, ed. R. Wortley, and L. Mazerolle, 78–94. Oregon: Willan Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bursik, R.J. 1988. Social disorganisation and theories of crime and delinquency: Problems and prospects. Criminology 26: 519–551.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chainey, S., and J. Ratcliffe. 2005. GIS and crime mapping. Brisbane: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Eck, J.E., and D. Weisburd (eds.). 1995. Crime and place, crime prevention studies, vol. 4. Monsey, NY: Criminal Justice Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmusa, S.S. 1997. Faust without the devil? The interplay of technology and culture in Saudi Arabia. The Middle East Journal 513: 345–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, P. 1985. The drugs/violence nexus: A tripartite conceptual framework. Journal of Drug Issues 15(4): 143–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gov.UK. 2017. Foreign travel advice Saudi Arabia, Government of the United Kingdom, viewed 2nd April 2017. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/saudi-arabia/safety-and-security.

  • Hardie-Bick, J., J. Sheptycki, and A. Wardak. 2005. Introduction: Transnational and comparative criminology in a global perspective. In Transnational and comparative criminology,1–17. London: Glasshouse.

  • Hasan, T., I. Ahmed, and H. Al-Bar. 2014. Drivers’ perceptions of unsafe driving behaviors and their countermeasures: A study in Saudi Arabia. Journal Teknologi Sciences & Engineering 70: 33–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Helms, C.M. 1981. The cohesion of Saudi Arabia: Evolution of political identity. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiropoulos, A., and J. Porter. 2014. Visualizing property crime in Gauteng: Applying GIS to crime pattern theory. South African Crime Quarterly 47: 17–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. 1961. The death and life of great American cities. New York: Vintage Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, G., C.P. Garris, and A. Bendania. 2010. Community involvement in crime prevention and judicial process: The experience of Saudi Arabia. British Journal of Community Justice 83: 49–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jobes, P.C., J.F. Donnermeyer, E.M. Barclay, and H. Weinand. 2004. A structural analysis of social disorganisation and crime in rural communities in Australia. The Australia and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 37(1): 114–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. 2000. Crime mapping and analysis using GIS, Paper presented at the geomatics conference on geomatics in electronic governance, January 2000 Pune University, Pune, India, 411007.

  • Khan, G.A., and S. Al-Khotani. 2015. Saudi arrests almost a thousand on drug trafficking charges. Albawaba News, February 26th, viewed 2nd April 2017. https://www.albawabacom/news/saudi-arrests-almost-thousand-drug-trafficking-charges-810094.

  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). 2003. Rules and regulations. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Justice, viewed 2nd April 2017. https://www.mojgovsa/En/Pages/defaultaspx.

  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). 2009. Crime rates. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Justice, viewed 2nd April 2017. https://www.mojgovsa/En/Pages/defaultaspx.

  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2010. ‘Census 2010’ Distribution of population in administrative districts. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia General Authority for Statistics, viewed 14th April 2017. https://www.statsgovsa/en/13.

  • Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 2017. Total population. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia general authority for statistics, viewed 20th April 2017. https://www.statsgovsa/en/node.

  • Kornhauser, Ruth. 1978. Social sources of delinquency. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubrin, C.E., and R. Weitzer. 2003. New directions in social disorganisation theory. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 40(4): 374–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022427803256238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhns, J.B., M.L. Exum, T.A. Clodfelter, and M.C. Bottia. 2014. The prevalence of alcohol-involved homicide offending: A meta-analytic review. Homicide Studies 183: 251–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., and J. Rainwater 2000. The real picture of land-use density and crime: A GIS application. In Proceedings of the twentieth annual ESRI international user conference, CD-ROM, San Diego, CA.

  • Liu, H., and D. Brown. 2003. Criminal incident prediction using a point-pattern-based density model. International Journal of Forecasting 19(4): 603–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-20700300094-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClintock, F.H. 1970. Criminological and penological aspects of the dark figure of crime. Council of Europe. Collected Studies in Criminological Research, Vol. 5.

  • Metz, H.C. 1993. Saudi Arabia: A country study. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Federal Research Division.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, A.T., I. McGuffog, J.S. Western, and P. Mullins. 2001. Exploratory spatial data analysis techniques for examining urban crime implications for evaluating treatment. British Journal of Criminology 412: 309–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pakistan Today. 2016. Saudi executes Pakistani man for drug trafficking. Pakistan Today, April 2016, viewed 2nd April 2017. https://www.pakistantodaycompk/2016/04/21/saudi-executes-pakistani-man-for-drug-trafficking/.

  • Parks, M.J. 2014. Urban poverty traps: Neighbourhoods and violent victimisation and offending in nairobi. Kenya, Urban Studies 519: 1812–1832.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratt, T.C., and F.T. Cullen. 2005. Assessing macro-level predictors and theories of crime: A meta-analysis. Crime and Justice 32: 373–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, R.J., and W.B. Groves. 1989. Community structure and crime: Testing social disorganisation theory. American Journal of Sociology 94: 774–802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, R., S. Raudenbush, and F. Earls. 1997. Neighborhoods and violent crime: A multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science 277: 918–924.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, C.R., and H.D. McKay. 1942. Juvenile delinquency and urban areas. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W.G. 1984. Reporting crimes to the police: The status of world research. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 21: 113–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steenbeek, W., and J.R. Hipp. 2011. A longitudinal test of social disorganisation theory: Feedback effects among social cohesion, social control, and disorder. Criminology 493: 833–871.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wardak, A. 2005. Crime and social control in Saudi Arabia. In Transnational and comparative criminology, ed. J. Strepticki, 91–116. London: Glasshouse Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieczorek, W.F., J.W. Welte, and E.L. Abel. 1990. Alcohol, drugs and homicide: A study of convicted homicide offenders. Journal of Criminal Justice 183: 217–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wortley, R., and L. Mazerolle (eds.). 2008. Environmental criminology and crime analysis, 1–18. Willan, OR: Portland.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia

    Mofza Algahtany & Lalit Kumar

  2. Ministry of Justice, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Mofza Algahtany

  3. School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia

    Elaine Barclay

  4. Department of Social Sciences, Arts College, Jazan University, Jizan, Saudi Arabia

    Hassan M. Khormi

Authors
  1. Mofza Algahtany
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lalit Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elaine Barclay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hassan M. Khormi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mofza Algahtany.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Algahtany, M., Kumar, L., Barclay, E. et al. The spatial distribution of crime and population density in Saudi Arabia. Crime Prev Community Saf 20, 30–46 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41300-017-0034-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41300-017-0034-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation