The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has introduced strict new penalties for individuals found violating Hajj permit regulations, as part of efforts to strengthen control over access to Makkah during the annual pilgrimage.
In a statement issued Thursday via the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the country’s Ministry of Interior announced that violators will now face hefty sanctions.
Chief among them is a fine of $26,661 for anyone who applies for a visit visa on behalf of individuals intending to perform Hajj without proper authorization.
The ministry emphasized that the new measures are part of intensified efforts to prevent unauthorized access to Makkah and other holy sites during Hajj.
The enforcement window will run from the 1st of Dhul-Qi’dah to the 14th of Dhul-Hijjah — the Islamic calendar months that encompass the pilgrimage period.
“A fine of $5,332 will be imposed on individuals attempting to perform Hajj without a permit, and on visitors trying to enter or stay in Makkah during this period,” the ministry said.
Additionally, the ministry warned that those who help unauthorized pilgrims — including applying for visit visas, transporting them, or providing accommodation — will face the $26,661 fine as well.
“It added that the same penalty applies to those who transport visit visa holders to Makkah, or shelter them in hotels, apartments, private homes, or any other form of accommodation.”
“This includes concealing their presence or providing assistance that enables their stay,” the ministry warned, adding that the fine will multiply for each individual involved.
The ministry also stated that the penalties won’t stop at financial measures. Illegal infiltrators — including residents and visa overstayers — caught attempting to perform Hajj will be deported and banned from re-entering the Kingdom for ten years.
This move comes as Saudi Arabia continues its push to enforce stricter management of the pilgrimage, aimed at ensuring safety, crowd control, and compliance with religious guidelines.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) has announced that the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj will begin on May 9.
NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, confirmed that 43,000 Nigerian pilgrims have paid for this year’s pilgrimage.
“The Commission is fully prepared for the airlift exercise, and we urge all pilgrims to comply with Saudi regulations,” she said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
