Saudi Arabia tightens grip on Umrah pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2025

 Saudi Arabia has set April 29 as the last day for Umrah pilgrims to exit the country. After this date, there will be a penalty of up to Rs 22 lakh and action in court. The decision has been taken after an accident during the Hajj pilgrimage in 2024 that claimed the lives of a number of pilgrims.The government of Saudi Arabia is already in the process of preparations for Haj 2025. Pilgrims from across the globe will begin arriving in Saudi Arabia on April 1 for the Hajj that will commence on June 4. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia has stated that April 29 will be the final date for foreign Umrah pilgrims to return to their nation.

Deadline for entry into Saudi Arabia

The ministry has, in a formal release, fixed April 13 as the deadline date for entry into Saudi Arabia this year for the Umrah pilgrimage. Pilgrims who remain in Saudi Arabia after April 29 will nevertheless remain violators of the visa and pilgrimage laws of the kingdom and may attract up to Rs 2.2 million in fines. Pilgrims visit Saudi Arabia throughout the year to perform Umrah and Hajj is performed once a year, to which millions of Muslims make their way to Mecca-Medina every year and special arrangements are made to accommodate them in Saudi Arabia.

In case of violation of rules, there will be a penalty

In its own statement, the ministry stressed the fact that extended stay after given dates is legally punishable and instructed that strict penal action will be taken against extending the stay. Individuals, corporate and Umrah service operators will be fined by as much as one lakh Saudi Riyal i.e. 22 lakh rupees and they can also initiate legal proceedings against them.

What makes the government of Saudi so stringent this time?

This year's strictness of the Saudi government is a result of this accident in the 2024 Hajj. In the 2024 Hajj, there was an overwhelming crowd in Mecca Medina compared to expectations, as a result of which a serious accident took place and over a thousand pilgrims lost their lives. The reason for this was thought to be those individuals who travel to Saudi Arabia on any other type of visa and travel to Mecca-Medina without Hajj registration at the time of Hajj.