Jeddah: The Saudi Interior Ministry has announced revised penalties for violations during Hajj. Those who commit various offenses face penalties such as imprisonment, heavy fines and deportation. Different sentences will be imposed on nationals, Gulf nationals and foreigners. The penalties for natives and citizens of Gulf countries are as follows:
Those who enter places of pilgrimage such as Mina, Musdalifah and Arafa without the permission of the authorities will be fined 15,000 riyals. A fine of 10,000 riyals will be levied for entering Makkah, the Masjid al-Haram, other holy sites, and two Haramin train stations in Rusaifa during the Hajj. The fines for these two offenses will be enforced every year from Dulqad 28 onwards.
He is considered to have performed Hajj in the year in which the offense was caught. If the same offense is repeated, the fines will be doubled. If the offense is repeated a third time, they could be handed over to the public prosecution and sentenced to between one and six months in prison.
Those who take pilgrims without a Hajj permit (tasreeh) to the shrine will be fined up to 50,000 riyals. The fine will increase according to the number of people in the vehicle. They face up to six months in prison or both.
Penalties for foreigners:
Foreigners will be barred from entering Makkah from Shawwal 25, except for Makkah residents or those who are engaged in authorized business during the Hajj season. However, those seeking entry into Makkah during these times for commercial and employment purposes must obtain a separate permit from the Saudi Passport Authority (Jawazat). Otherwise, if they are caught violating the law by entering Makkah, they will be deported with entry ban. They will be barred from entering Saudi Arabia for a fixed period of time as decided by the Home Minister.
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