ISLAMABAD: In a bid to ensure the safety of pilgrims, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior has restricted entry to Mecca for all persons holding visit visas during the upcoming Hajj season.
The Hajj season begins today and will continue until June 21, 2024.
In a statement, the Saudi ministry said that visit visa holders are not granted permission to perform the Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The ministry has advised visit visa holders to avoid traveling to Mecca without Hajj permission during the period and warned of penalties under Saudi regulations.
Security and organizational measures are being implemented to ensure the safety of authorized pilgrims during the Hajj rituals.
It is pertinent to mention here that Saudi authorities are preparing for potentially record attendance after a surge in the number of Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan.
Since May 9, Pakistani pilgrims have been arriving in Medina as part of pre-Hajj flight operations.
According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, a total of 28,743 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Madinah through 120 flights till Tuesday.
This year, around 2.5 million worshipers around the world, including 179,210 from Pakistan, will perform the religious obligation of Hajj.
This year's pilgrimage is expected to take place from June 14 to 19.
In addition to the new restrictions, in April this year the authorities revealed the expiration date of Umrah visas for foreign pilgrims.
According to Saudi Gazette, the ministry announced that the expiration date of Umrah visas had been delayed from Dhul Qadah 29 to Dhul Qadah 15. This meant that foreign Umrah pilgrims had to leave the country before the 15th of Dhul Qadah.
This move came as part of the government's attempt to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina from around the world for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The ministry also clarified that the validity of the three-month Umrah visa will begin from the date of issuance, instead of the previously approved validity from the date of entry into the kingdom.
According to the ministry, the validity of the Umrah visa was three months from the date of its issuance, provided it expires no later than 15 Dhul Qadah.
“This date of Dhul Qadah 15 was approved two weeks (14 days) before the previously announced expiration date of Dhul Qadah 29,” the ministry added.
— Additional APP entry
