Authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have imposed hefty fines for people who try to perfom Hajj without obtaining permits.

The Kingdom has announced that anyone performing Hajj or even transporting people for Hajj without a permit will be fined SAR 50,000. The fine amounts to almost Rs4 million.

Authorities have further stated that the fine will be applicable to both residents and visitors. The violation of rules can also lead to a jail time of six months. The offenders will be expelled from the country for 10 years after the sentence is completed.

The move comes as part of a larger effort to make the annual pilgrimage as smooth as possible. The Hajj is one of the world’s biggest gatherings, with over 1.8 million people from across the globe performing the pilgrimage in 2023.

The Kingdom has also tried to streamline the process of applications by introducing the Nusuk platform online.

Additionally, people without entry permits have been banned from entering the holy city of Makkah fromMay 15, even if they are residents.

Although the Hajj’s size shrunk during the pandemic, it is slowly resuming its regular volume of visitors.