Makkah Health Affairs has ordered all its administrations to cease the payment of living allowances for all staff that spend annual vacations abroad. The move applies to Saudi and non-Saudi staff alike for the period of their vacations, and follows a circular to that effect from the Ministry of Health in response to a letter from the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Health Personnel Department had previously made inquiries at the Ministry of Finance concerning the payment of living allowances to non-Saudi staff during vacations both in the Kingdom and abroad, and the Ministry of Finance's response, a copy of which has been seen by Okaz, suggests confusion between foreign staff and retired employees of state.