Riyadh, March 21 - A total of 18 people -- 16 Saudis, an Iranian and one Lebanese -- have been arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of spying for a foreign country.

The arrests followed coordinated and simultaneous security operations carried out in four regions -- Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh and the Eastern region-- across the kingdom, a spokesperson for Saudi interior ministry said. (IANS)