Pilgrims warned against visa fraud

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has warned prospective pilgrims against being duped by rumors on social media promoting Haj visas for sale. The ministry stressed the need to use e-track, the ministry’s official method for issuing Haj visas. The ministry said it monitors the number of pilgrims who have been issued Haj visas each day and keeps details of their arrival in the country. It urged Haj affairs offices and service organizers to speed up procedures for issuing Haj visas. The Haj Ministry said it was closely cooperating with official authorities monitoring fraudsters within the Kingdom and abroad who claim they can obtain Haj visas for prospective pilgrims abroad. It appealed to those wishing to perform Haj to obtain the correct information from the ministry’s website. Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Arab Organization for Red Crescent and Red Cross Saleh Al-Suhaibani said the organization was ready to obtain the high tech bracelets pilgrims will wear during the upcoming Haj. The Kingdom has previously announced that it will introduce electronic identification bracelets for all pilgrims to Makkah starting this year as part of a safety drive a year after the annual pilgrimage suffered its deadliest disaster in a generation. The technology is part of the organization's latest project, Istijabah or “response”, which is a joint effort with Saudi Ascob Group. Al-Suhaibani said rapid response authorities could make use of the bracelets under the project. These authorities include the Ministry of Haj and Umrah for crowd management and Tawafa establishments, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, and international organizations working with refugees and migrants. According to the organization, the project will become the first humanitarian relief database in the world. Each bracelet has a special bar code, which functions according to online and offline systems. This high-tech bracelet was tested successfully during the organization’s recent visit to some refugee camps and was found to save time, effort and money. The bracelet is manufactured using environment and human-friendly materials and can resist harsh climatic conditions, including high temperatures. The bracelet can be adapted to suit the data needs of the authority concerned.