RIYADH – The government of Saudi Arabia has suspended the issuance of Umrah visas as the kingdom gears up to finalize arrangements for the annual Hajj season.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia confirmed the decision through the social media platform, X on Friday; the visa issuance would remain suspended from May 23 until June 21.
The ministry has also announced that all categories of tourist visa holders are banned from entering Makkah during this period in order to facilitate pilgrims who are landing in the kingdom.
The government has already announced that only Hajj visa holders are allowed to perform the Hajj, warning the violators about the strict punishment.
Saudi Arabia introduced the Nusuk application to allow those planning to perform Umrah to obtain permits to enter the Two Holy Mosques easily and comfortably.
The Ministry of Interior, Saudi Arabia has recently unveiled strict measures against violators, including Saudi citizens, expatriates, and visitors, who attempt to enter Makkah without a valid Hajj permit.
As per the announcement, fines of SR10,000 will be imposed on offenders caught between Dhul Qada 25 and Dhul Hijjah 14th. These penalties extend to various locations, encompassing the holy city of Makkah, the Central Haram Area, and key pilgrimage sites such as Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.
The ministry has underscored its commitment to enforcing these regulations, signaling a zero-tolerance policy towards non-compliance. Interestingly, repeat offenders will also face escalated fines of up to SR100,000, coupled with deportation for expatriates and bans on re-entry.
It bears mentioning that the government of Saudi Arabia would be welcoming over 2 million pilgrims from across the world for which the kingdom has made arrangements.
The government has also confirmed that pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia would be displaying special tags that would help the authorities find illegal pilgrims.
As the Hajj season begins shortly, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has officially launched a tag to be displayed by legal pilgrims to access holy sites during the pilgrimage.
In this regard, the Minister of Hajj, Tawfik Al Rabiah launched the Nusuk Card which contains comprehensive data on each pilgrim.
There is also a digital version of the card – available on Saudi apps Nusuk and Tawakklana – and the pilgrims must display the card to get access to the holy places and move in and around the kingdom.
The authorities in Saudi Arabia have defined the Nusuk Card as an official printed card aimed to filter legal pilgrims at the holy places from others.
