Curbs on Mecca entry as preparations are in full swing for the upcoming pilgrimage season
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Saudi Arabia has started issuing online permits for residents who will be engaged in work linked to the upcoming Hajj season, as preparations are in full swing for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in the kingdom.
The Saudi General Directorate of Passports said it has begun receiving applications from such workers to obtain entry permits to the holy city of Mecca through the Ministry of Interior’s electronic platform “Absher” and the “Muqeem” portal.
The applicants do not need to visit the offices of the passport departments to get the permits. The directorate cited technical integration with a unified digital platform for issuing Hajj permits dubbed the “Tasareeh platform”.
Entry permits to Mecca are issued through the Muqeem portal to workers in establishments based in the city, holders of seasonal work visas, and those who have employment contracts with those establishments during the Hajj season.
As of April 29, holders of all types of visas, except for those holding a Hajj visa, will not be allowed to enter or remain in Mecca.
Saudi Arabia has also set April 29 as the deadline for all foreign Umrah pilgrims to leave the country. Staying beyond this date is deemed an offence that makes the violator liable to legal penalties.
The warning comes amid concerns about attempts by some foreign visitors to overstay their Umrah visas to illegally perform the Hajj rites due in early June in and around Mecca.
Saudi authorities have repeatedly said that a Hajj visa is mandatory to perform the pilgrimage and that a visit visa does not qualify its holders to undertake the holy journey.
Hajj is one of Islam’s five obligatory duties. Muslims who are physically and financially able must perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Around 1.8 million Muslims, including 1.6 million from abroad, performed last year’s Hajj.
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