300 Thousand People Refused To Enter Makkah Because They Do Not Have A Legal Hajj Permit

Illustration of aerial photos in the Haram Mosque area, Makkah. (Wikimedia Commons/saudipics)

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabian authorities have refused to enter hundreds of thousands of people who have arrived in Makkah because they do not have a valid hajj permit this year.

More than 300 thousand people have been denied entry to Makkah for not having a permit to perform the pilgrimage. This includes 153,998 people arriving on tourist visas, instead of Hajj visas, the Saudi Arabian News Agency (SPA) reported on Monday, quoted from The National News June 11.

Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said authorities in the past week managed to thwart 140 fake Hajj trips and 64 operators for violating this year's hajj rules and instructions.

They also said they had refused 97,664 vehicles carrying worshipers without valid permits.

Crowd management is a major concern during the Hajj season. More than 1.8 million Muslims performed Hajj last year, according to official figures.

It is known that the Government of Saudi Arabia is completing preparations to accommodate more than 1.5 million pilgrims which will start this week.

Previously, the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court determined 1 Dzulhijjah 1445 H to fall on Friday last week, after the new crescent moon was successfully observed on Thursday afternoon local time. With that, this year's pilgrimage will begin on June 14. Wukuf in Arafah will be held on Saturday, the ninth day of Dzulhijjah 1445 H, which coincides with June 15, 2024 and Eid al-Adha will fall the following day, the Saudi Arabian Supreme Court said.

"The kingdom, since its establishment, has been honored to serve the pilgrims and pilgrims, because wise leaders attach great importance to providing the highest level of care for the pilgrims and facilitating their arrival to the two holy mosques and holy places, to perform worship easily," explained Minister Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.

He added that his party emphasized the need for pilgrims to comply with the regulations and instructions issued, to ensure a smooth and satisfying Hajj experience for everyone.