
50 Saudis and expats penalized for transporting 205 unauthorized pilgrims
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.
© Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Iran warns European nations over move to censure it for nuclear 'non-compliance'
Iran 's Foreign Minister warned the UK, France and Germany on Friday against backing a resolution censuring Tehran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency next week, saying such a move would be a "strategic mistake". "Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is opting for malign action against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors," Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X. "Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights." Mr Araghchi's warning comes as the three European nations prepare to join the United States in backing a draft resolution to censure Iran at next week's board meeting, a diplomatic source told AFP. The resolution would accuse Iran of failing to meet its obligations as a signatory of the Nuclear No-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and carries the threat of referral to the UN Security Council if Tehran "does not show goodwill", the source added. The move follows a quarterly report from the IAEA last week which cited a "general lack of co-operation" from Iran and raised concerns over undeclared nuclear material. The UN's nuclear watchdog also expressed 'serious concern' that Iran had stepped up its enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade level in recent months. The report said Iran had an estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent as of May 17, up by 133.8kg since the last report in February. According to the IAEA, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, which is close to the roughly 90 per cent level needed for atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran rejected the report as politically motivated and based on "forged documents" that it said had been provided by its arch foe Israel. In his post on X, Mr Araghchi said that despite "years of good co-operation with the IAEA – resulting in a resolution which shut down malign claims of a 'possible military dimension' (PMD) to Iran's peaceful nuclear programme – my country is once again accused of 'non-compliance'." "Falsely accusing Iran of violating safeguards – based on shoddy and politicised reporting – is clearly designed to produce a crisis," he said. The pressure on Iran comes as it holds indirect talks with the US, mediated by Oman, to reach an agreement that would see Tehran accept curbs on its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The two sides have held five rounds of talks since April 12 but are at odds over the issue of uranium enrichment, which produces fuel for nuclear reactors or, at higher levels of purity, material for nuclear warheads. Iran's leaders say that it has the right to enrich uranium under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that the issue is "non-negotiable", while President Donald Trump insists that US will not allow enrichment to continue on Iranian soil. Tehran and Washington are seeking a new agreement to replace a 2015 deal with major powers which Mr Trump unilaterally abandoned during his first term in 2018. The agreement quickly unravelled as Mr Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, leading Tehran to begin breaching commitments it made under the pact including a 3.67 per cent cap on the level of its uranium enrichment. Britain, France and Germany, which were all party to the 2015 deal, are now considering whether to trigger a "snapback" of UN sanctions under its dispute resolution mechanism – an option that expires on the deal's 10th anniversary in October.


The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Aftermath of Israeli air strike revealed after Beirut building reduced to rubble
The National reports from the scene of an overnight air strike on the Lebanese capital


The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Pilgrims 'stone the devil' to mark end of Hajj and start of Eid
Muslims performed the last ritual of Hajj on Friday known as the 'stoning of the devil' in Makkah, as millions around the globe celebrated the beginning of the Eid Al Adha break. Saudi Arabia has this year hosted more than 1.6 million Muslim pilgrims. They threw stones at three concrete walls symbolising the devil in the Mina valley, on the outskirts of the holy city of Makkah. Droves of pilgrims had already set out from their accommodation in the sprawling tent city in Mina before dawn, taking advantage of the cool temperatures. The ritual commemorates Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade him from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son. On Thursday, pilgrims converged on Mount Arafat, praying and reciting the Quran at the 70-metre rocky rise near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon. Many climbed despite searing heat, though numbers had thinned by midday, following official warnings for pilgrims to stay inside between 10am and 4pm. At this year's Hajj authorities implemented a range of heat-mitigation efforts alongside a wide-ranging crackdown on illicit pilgrims- resulting in noticeably thinner crowds and a heavy security presence at holy sites in Makkah and surrounding areas. This year's statistics, by the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat), showed a total of 1,673, 230 pilgrims performed Hajj. Of these, 1,506,576 were international pilgrims and 166,654 were domestic pilgrims, including both citizens and residents. According to Gastat, 877,841 were men and 795,389 were women. Every year at the Hajj, Muslims gather in Saudi Arabia to unite in religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfil one of the Five Pillars of Islam, a religious obligation. It can be the spiritual experience of a lifetime for them and a chance to seek God's forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.