Hyderabad:Saudi Arabia has imposed a temporary halt on allotting Umrah, business, and family visit visas to 14 countries, including India, to manage the large crowds during the Haj season. The suspension will be in place until the current Haj season ends in June.
According to the Saudi Arabian government, the suspension was aimed at preventing unregistered pilgrims from entering the kingdom under alternative visa categories and attempting to perform Haj without official authorisation.
To attain a Haj visa, pilgrims must go through a strict registration and application process. They must be vaccinated and healthy, the visa is selected through a lottery and is usually very expensive since it is a prolonged stay and pilgrims can participate in rituals like standing at Arafat, stoning the Jamarat, among others.
To avoid the complicated process of Haj visas, many pilgrims visit the kingdom on different visa applications and attempt to participate in the pilgrimage without any permissions.
They said pilgrims have been taking other visas and performing Haj, which has led to overcrowding and stampedes at the pilgrimage site. In 2024, over 1,000 fatalities occurred, largely due to extreme heat and overcrowding caused by unregistered pilgrims.
The visa suspension is applicable for Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
The suspension has left many prospective pilgrims and visitors surprised and disappointed.
Mohd Saifuddin, a resident of Amberpet, said, “I had been planning this trip for months, and this sudden suspension has completely disrupted my plans.”
Similarly, Arbaaz, another resident, said: “I had to go to Saudi on a business visit, but I can’t anymore. I understand the need for crowd control, but do they have to close off business and family visits too? They could have increased security at Haj.”
The Saudi Arabia government has also issued a strong warning that if anyone is found staying illegally during Haj, he will face a five-year ban from entering Saudi Arabia.
