Jeddah Municipality seizes 5,255 counterfeit clothing items in a hideout south of the city
The Jeddah Municipality continued its intensive monitoring efforts to protect markets and consumers, with field teams raiding an illegal site south of the city that had been transformed into a hub for commercial fraud and trademark counterfeiting. The raid resulted in the confiscation of more than 5,255 counterfeit clothing items and labels, which were intended to be sold in local markets as genuine products of international sports clubs.
Details of the raid and the equipment seized
Field inspections conducted by the municipality revealed that the aforementioned site was being exploited illegally, having been equipped as a fully-fledged manufacturing and storage facility. Inspectors found sophisticated technical equipment inside the site, including laser and thermal printing machines, as well as computers used to design and print high-resolution counterfeit logos to deceive consumers and mislead them about the quality of the products.
Inventory of seized items and protection of intellectual property
The Director General of Negative Phenomena Monitoring Operations, Yasser Bakhsh, explained that a thorough inventory of the seized items revealed 600 ready-made clothing items bearing the logos of famous international sports clubs, along with 2,475 labels ready for printing, and 2,180 pieces of raw clothing of unknown origin that were awaiting processing and distribution. These efforts are part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's commitment to protecting intellectual property rights, with government agencies working in close coordination to curb trademark infringement, which inflicts significant losses on the national economy and negatively impacts the investment climate.
Integration of government efforts and its economic impact
This successful operation was carried out through effective coordination between several government agencies, including the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property. This collaboration reflects the government's commitment to combating the informal economy and unlicensed commercial activities, which often operate in unregulated locations. Combating counterfeit goods is a cornerstone of ensuring fair competition in the Saudi market and protecting consumers from substandard or unknown-origin products that may not meet Saudi standards and specifications.
Legal procedures and the final fate of the seized items
In a move reflecting social responsibility and optimal resource utilization, the unprinted raw clothing was donated to charitable organizations for distribution according to established procedures. As for the counterfeit products and forged logos, these were referred to the inventory committee of the Southern Sub-Municipality for destruction, ensuring they do not reappear in the market and protecting the intellectual property rights of the original trademarks.
In its concluding statement, the Jeddah Municipality affirmed its determination to continue its strict monitoring campaigns, stressing that it will not tolerate violations of regulations and laws, and will close any facility or site proven to be involved in practices that harm the national economy or violate municipal and commercial regulations.
