Saudi Gazette report

MINA — The Ministry of Interior has penalized 50 people, including 35 Saudi citizens and 15 expatriates, for violating the Hajj regulations. The ministry announced that the Hajj Security Forces arrested them at the entry points to Makkah while transporting a total of 205 individuals without Hajj permits.

The ministry issued administrative decisions through the seasonal administrative committees against the transporters, their accomplices, and those who were provided with transportation. The penalties included imprisonment, fines of up to SR100,000, publicizing names of violators in the local media at their own expense, and deportation of residents with a 10-year ban from re-entering Saudi Arabia after serving their sentence.

The ministry also called for the judicial confiscation of vehicles used in the unauthorized transport of pilgrims and the imposition of a fine of up to SR20,000 on those, who attempted to perform Hajj without a permit. The ministry urged all citizens and residents to comply with Hajj regulations to ensure the safety of pilgrims.