JEDDAH, Nov 10(Arab News): The last date for issuing Haj permits for domestic pilgrims in Jeddah has been extended to Nov. 13, Commander of Passport forces in Haj Brig. Aed Al-Harbi said on Tuesday.
“The change in the date is as per the orders of Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Prince Naif,” Al-Harbi said, adding that the passport office receives applications for Haj permits from 7 a.m. and that permits are issued the same day.
Meanwhile, authorities have stopped eight fake companies from providing domestic Haj services across the Kingdom, said Director of the Affairs of Domestic Pilgrims Ibrahim Al-Jabri.
He said more than 190,000 permits were issued to domestic pilgrims until Tuesday, and that 150,000 domestic pilgrims will be able to make use of the Mashair train service.
The ticket price is fixed at SR250 for pilgrims and SR100 for Haj employees and contract workers. Tickets sales began on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and the office of the Central Administration for Developmental Projects in Kudai in Makkah. Tickets will be available until Thursday.
He said 25,000 people benefited from a low-cost Haj scheme in which a pilgrim has to pay between SR1,900 and SR3,900.
Meanwhile, inspectors at checkpoints outside Makkah stopped a total of 29,000 pilgrims attempting to enter the city without Haj permits until Tuesday.
“The Passport Department has set up checkpoints at more than 12 locations inside and outside Makkah. There are also four checkpoints in and around Madinah. These and other precautions are being taken to make this year’s Haj easy and to reduce congestion,” said Lt. Col. Badr Mohammed Al-Malik, spokesman for the Passport Department.
More than 3,000 pilgrims were arrested and sent to deportation centers as they did not carry valid resident permits while 26,000 of them were turned away without any penal action against them.
Al-Malik said 21 individuals have been apprehended and fined last week for trying to traffic people into Makkah.
While the Eastern Province police foiled attempts by two fake Haj service companies to cheat more than 1,000 expatriate pilgrims, Tabuk police arrested some expatriates for running an unlicensed pilgrim service office, a police source said.