RIYADH: Saudi Arabia warned that anyone who attempted to perform Hajj without a permit would be fined 10,000 SAR (Saudi riyal).

A spokesperson of Saudi Public Security said that access to holy sites at Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat would be limited to those with Hajj permits for the duration of the pilgrimage.

“If a person is caught performing Hajj without a permit, he will be fined 10,000 rupees,” the spokesperson said.

The official urged citizens and expatriates to abide by Hajj-related instructions.

He said that if Saudi iqama holders were found performing Hajj without a permit then they could also face problems in renewing their iqama.

Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be undertaken by all Muslims who have the means at least once in their lives.

The Kingdom will allow one million pilgrims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year’s Hajj after it had sharply decreased the number of pilgrims due to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 42,000 Pakistani pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage since the start of a special flight operation on June 6, the Ministry of Religious Affairs said.

Pakistan has been allotted a quota of 81,132 pilgrims for this year’s Hajj, with 32,000 people using a government scheme and 48,000 travelling through private operators.