Arab News: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd has ordered the release of 5,000 Saudi and expatriate prisoners jailed for minor offenses, the director of jails said in remarks published by Okaz newspaper yesterday.

“A committee is currently assessing who should be released ... The first batch was released on Wednesday ... and work will be completed within two months,” Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harithy told the daily.

Prisoners charged for minor offenses such as drinking alcohol, quarreling, traffic accidents and individual thefts and who are not required to pay money to others will be released, said Al-Harithy.