RIYADH — The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that Umrah permits will not be issued for those who do not have a confirmed Hajj permit during the period from Dhul Qada 16, corresponding to May 24, until Dhul-Hijjah 20, corresponding to June 26. The ministry issued the directive to facilitate the Hajj pilgrims, who started flocking to Saudi Arabia from all over the world, to perform their rituals at the Grand Mosque in Makkah in ease and comfort. The Ministry of Interior announced recently that it will start imposing fines amounting to SR10,000 on violators, including Saudi citizens, expatriates and visitors who caught while entering Makkah without a Hajj permit during the period from Dhul Qada 25 corresponding to June 2, until Dhul Hijjah 14, corresponding to June 20. The penalties will be slapped on anyone who is caught without a Hajj permit within the holy city of Makkah, the Central Haram Area, the Holy Sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, the Haramain train station in Rusayfah, security control centers, pilgrims' grouping centers and temporary security control centers. The penalties will be imposed on those who violate the regulations and instructions issued by the ministry in this regard. The ministry emphasized that it will double the fine against violators, reaching up to SR100,000 in the event of repeating the violation. Expatriates among the violators will be deported to their country and a ban on reentering the Kingdom will be imposed on them in accordance with the periods specified by law. The ministry stated earlier that the penalty for anyone, who is caught while transporting violators of Hajj regulations and instructions, is imprisonment for a period of up to six months and a maximum fine of SR50,000. The penalties also include demanding confiscation of the vehicle used to transport the violators through a judicial ruling, and deportation of the violating transporter if he is an expatriate after serving the jail term and payment of fine. The violator will be banned from reentering the Kingdom according to the periods specified by law. Fines will be increased in accordance with the number of violators who were provided with transportation. The ministry underlined the need for adhering to Hajj regulations and instructions so that the pilgrims can perform their rituals in ease and comfort. It urged the public to report about fake Hajj campaigns and violators through contacting over the phone number 911 in the regions of Makkah, the Eastern Province, and Riyadh, and on the number 999 in the rest of the regions in the Kingdom.
