Latest news with #SaudiGeneralDirectorateofPassports
Gulf Insider
23-04-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Saudi Arabia Spells Out Health Rules For Hajj Workers
Authorities in the Saudi holy city of Mecca have announced steps for workers engaged in this year's Hajj pilgrimage season to obtain related health certificates and the validity duration of the mandatory document. The Mecca Municipality has directed those workers to apply for the seasonal health certificates for the Hajj online via the Balady platform using the link: The applicants are required to undergo obligatory medical tests at accredited labour testing centres, and pass a health education course. These courses cover three main areas, namely food safety, shaving, and public health. The seasonal health certificate expires on the 15th of the Islamic lunar month of Al Muharram, corresponding to July 10. The municipality has urged all such workers to complete the requirements on time to ensure their participation in the upcoming Hajj season. In mid-April, Saudi authorities started issuing online permits for residents, who will be engaged in the works linked to the Hajj season. The Saudi General Directorate of Passports said it has begun receiving applications from such workers to obtain entry permits to Mecca through the Ministry of Interior's electronic platform 'Absher' and the 'Muqeem' portal. The applicants do not need to visit the offices of the passport departments to get the permits. The directorate cited technical integration with a unified digital platform for issuing Hajj permits dubbed the 'Tasareeh platform'. Entry permits to Mecca are issued through the Muqeem portal to workers in establishments based in the city, holders of seasonal work visas, and those who have employment contracts with those establishments during the Hajj season. As of April 29, holders of all types of visas, except those holding a Hajj visa, will not be allowed to enter or remain in Mecca.
Gulf Insider
19-04-2025
- Gulf Insider
Saudis Crack Down On Violating Warehouses Ahead Of Hajj
Saudi authorities have shut down 95 unlicensed warehouses of equipment used for serving pilgrims during the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage due this year in June. The violating warehouses were detected during an inspection campaign launched by municipal authorities in the city of Mecca, home to Islam's holiest mosque. The campaign aims to ascertain the compliance of these facilities, providing tents and air conditioning units during the Hajj season, with regulations, a local official has said. 'We have launched a correctional campaign to monitor the warehouses and check their compliance with the health requirements,' spokesman for the Mecca Municipality, Osama Zaytouni, told Saudi television Al Ekhbariya. The campaign, targeting warehouses in Mecca and affiliated governorates, also aims to set up a database on them, he added. Violations detected in the shut warehouses included failure to have efficient safety systems, poor storage and decline in cleaning standards, Al Ekhbariya reported. Saudi Arabia is maximising preparations for the upcoming Hajj season amid iron-clad measures against violators. Earlier this week, authorities started issuing online permits for residents who will be engaged in the Hajj-related works in and around Mecca. The Saudi General Directorate of Passports said it is receiving applications from such workers to obtain entry permits to Mecca through the Ministry of Interior's electronic platform 'Absher' and the Muqeem portal. Entry permits to Mecca are issued through the Muqeem portal to workers in establishments based in the city, holders of seasonal work visas, and those who have employment contracts with those establishments during the Hajj season.
Gulf Insider
16-04-2025
- Gulf Insider
Saudi Arabia Starts Issuing Hajj Workers' Permits
Saudi Arabia has started issuing online permits for residents, who will be engaged in the works linked to the upcoming Hajj season as preparations are in full swing for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in the kingdom. The Saudi General Directorate of Passports said it has begun receiving applications from such workers to obtain entry permits to the holy city of Mecca through the Ministry of Interior's electronic platform 'Absher' and the 'Muqeem' portal. The applicants do not need to visit the offices of the passport departments to get the permits. The directorate cited technical integration with a unified digital platform for issuing Hajj permits dubbed the 'Tasareeh platform'. Entry permits to Mecca are issued through the Muqeem portal to workers in establishments based in the city, holders of seasonal work visas, and those who have employment contracts with those establishments during the Hajj season. As of April 29, holders of all types of visas, except for those holding a Hajj visa, will not be allowed to enter or remain in Mecca. Saudi Arabia has also set April 29 as the deadline for all foreign Umrah pilgrims to leave the country. Staying beyond this date is deemed an offence that makes the violator liable to legal penalties. The warning comes amid concerns about attempts by some foreign visitors to overstay their Umrah visas to illegally perform the Hajj rites due in early June in and around Mecca. Saudi authorities have repeatedly said that a Hajj visa is mandatory to perform the pilgrimage and that a visit visa does not qualify its holders to undertake the holy journey. Hajj is one of Islam's five obligatory duties. Muslims who are physically and financially able must perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime. Around 1.8 million Muslims, including 1.6 million from abroad, performed last year's Hajj.
