Keeping in mind the Hajj season, Saudi Arabia bans residents and ex-pats from entering the sacred place of the Kingdom of Arab, Mecca without a permit. This rule is being applied for Hajj season 2023 and will continue till the end of it. This news is announced by the “State Run Press Agency (SPA)”.
Only those people will be allowed to enter Mecca having Umrah or Hajj permit. Also, the ex-pats holding work permits in Mecca will not be banned from entering Mecca. The residents will be allowed if they hold the identity card called Iqama which is issued by the Govt of Mecca.
This ban is applied every year on the entry and checkpoints of the roads in the Holy City of Mecca. Ex-pats and people entering Mecca for Hajj or Umrah are checked for holding permits. All transport services modes are scanned in the ban to check permits. such as motorcycles, cars, buses, etc. Traveling permits are issued to the people having permits for entering Mecca from the authorities of Mecca.
Hajj activities are expected to begin on June 26, 2023. However, no official announcement has been made yet by the Ministry of Mecca as it depends on the moon sighting.
The Ministry of Saudi Arabia announced that the visit visa will be valid for 90 days only. They clarified that the people having visit visas of the Kingdom of Arab will not be allowed to participate in any rituals of Hajj. They should follow the departure date and leave the Hoy place on their visa expiry.
So, the people who want to participate in Hajj rituals should secure their entry permits to this holy city of Mecca, otherwise, they will be banned and turned back.
All these efforts are made to securely regulate the Hajj pilgrimage activities in the current season. After the end of the Hajj season, this ban will be removed, and everything will come back to its routine like other days of the year.
How to get Mecca Entry Permit?
According to the General Directorate of Passport, they have begun to accept applications for the permit of entering Mecca. Domestic workers, non-Saudi families, ex-pats, and visa holders can submit their applications electronically via the Ajeer system.
They can collect their permits from the Absher platform. The entry pass for entering Mecca will be provided through Muqeem which is an electronic portal and is accessible to all agencies. This service will save time and effort for beneficiaries.
