General Directorate of Public Security
Public Security Police

Before King Abdulaziz Al Saud, police existed only in Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah. Then, Police was a tool to fulfill governors’ rules in these towns. However, in villages and steppes police did not exist except through bringing disputing parts to the town.

Late King Abdulaziz Al Saud founded a general directorate for the police in Makkah, 1343 A.H. The duty of that directorate was to maintain the security in the sacred places and protect pilgrims. He also founded police divisions in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah besides passports works.

In 1346 A.H., Royal Order no. (344) was issued: all departments of Police to be combined under one administration in Makkah. Therefore, the administration of police in At-Tayef, Riyadh, Al Ahsa, Abha, Najran and Jazan were constructed. Police work included firefighting, caring of orphans, organizing traffic, passports works, expatriates affairs and the works of CPVPV. In 1350 A.H., Ministry of Interior was founded for the first time in Kingdom. In 1396 A.H., a royal decree founded the General Directorate of Public Security, its divisions, duties and rules.

The police security forces were divided into regular police and special investigative police of the General Directorate of Investigation (GDI), commonly called the mubahith (secret police). The GDI conducted criminal investigations in addition to performing the domestic security and counterintelligence functions of the Ministry of Interior.

The public security forces, particularly the centralized Public Security Police, could also get emergency support from the national guard or, in extremis, from the regular armed forces.

The Public Security Police, recruited from all areas of the country, maintained police directorates at provincial and local levels. The director general for public security retained responsibility for police units but, in practice, provincial governors exercised considerable autonomy. Provincial governors were frequently senior amirs of the Al Saud.

Since the mid-1960s, a major effort had been made to modernize the police forces. During the 1970s, quantities of new vehicles and radio communications equipment enabled police directorates to operate sophisticated mobile units, especially in the principal cities. Helicopters were also acquired for use in urban areas. Police uniforms were similar to the khaki and olive drab worn by the army except for the distinctive red beret. Policemen usually wore sidearms while on duty.

Dealings with the security forces were often a source of difficulty for foreigners in the kingdom. Ordinary policemen could be impatient with those who did not speak Arabic and were often illiterate. Darker-skinned workers were said to be treated more roughly than Europeans or North Americans. Detentions of everyone connected with a serious crime or accident could result until the police investigated matters.