Government | Monday 27 August, 2018 7:30 am |

The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) urged all the foreign Haj pilgrims to leave the Kingdom before the expiry of their visas. Lt. Col. Badr Al-Qeraini, spokesman of Jawazat, warned the pilgrims against overstaying their visas and that any pilgrims who overstay their visas or those who help them overstay in the Kingdom will have to face stringent punitive measures.

“No Haj pilgrim is allowed to move outside the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in addition to Jeddah or engage in work in any parts of the Kingdom. The Haj regulations stipulate that the pilgrims can stay on in the Kingdom only up to the last day of expiry of their visas,” the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday quoting him as saying.

Al-Qeraini urged Saudi citizens and expatriates not to extend any kind of help and support to the overstayers. “Those who support the overstayers by giving them transportation, jobs, shelter or cover up will have to face penalties,” he said while calling on all the Haj service providing companies and establishments to ensure departure of the pilgrims within the stipulated period of time.