Ramadan 2021: Dh10,000 fine for performing Umrah without permit

The move comes as Saudi officials are trying to prevent the spread of Covid among worshippers.

Saudi Arabian authorities have announced that a fine of SR10,000 would be imposed on those performing Umrah without a permit during Ramadan this year.

According to Arab News, an official source from the Ministry of Interior also announced an additional fine of SR1,000 for anyone caught attempting to enter the Grand Mosque in Makkah without a permit.

Authorities confirmed that the measure would be in place well past Ramadan, until the end of the pandemic or when “life returns to normal,” the source added.

The source said that the ministry wanted to ensure that all Covid safety measures were adhered to, and that the regulations were in line with the monitoring of the Grand Mosque’s operational capacity as well.

The source also said that security personnel will be on patrol at all security control centres, roads, sites and pathways leading to the central area surrounding the Grand Mosque.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Thursday that the Umrah and Tawakkalna applications have been launched in their updated versions, through cooperation with the Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence.

• Saudi Arabia