An employee places a special shoulder strap on the luggage of haj pilgrims on May 6, 2025, at the Donohudan haj dormitory in Boyolali, Central Java. - Antara
JAKARTA: Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested 30 Indonesian travellers at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah for entering the country to go on haj without the appropriate visa.
Instead of the visas issued specifically for the haj and umrah (minor pilgrimage), the group had arrived on a type of visit visa known as ziarah, which allows foreign nationals to enter Saudi Arabia for a certain period to pursue non-pilgrimage activities, such as visiting family or travelling to historical sites.
The entry date for holders of the ziarah visa ended on April 13, after which only haj visa holders may enter to complete the pilgrimage. But ziarah visa holders can still enter Saudi Arabia for non-pilgrimage activities.
“They paid Rp 150 million [US$9,090] for the visa, despite being fully aware that their visa cannot be used for haj,” Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah Yuson B. Ambary said on Thursday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Yusron said the consulate general in Jeddah had previously received a notice from Saudi immigration authorities that 50 Indonesians had tried to enter the country for haj using the seasonal worker visa and were immediately deported.
Hilman Latief, director general of haj and umrah organisation at the Religious Affairs Ministry, repeatedly warned potential pilgrims that they would not be allowed to enter Mecca without the haj visa.
“Be careful of parties offering [visa] services without legal clarity to avoid potential fraud,” Hilman said on May 1 during the send-off ceremony for the first group of Indonesian pilgrims, as quoted by Kompas.com.
Local officials noted that some travel agencies offered a more affordable haj package compared to the government’s and promised easier processing, but had provided customers with tourist visas instead.
Foreign visitors caught attempting to go on haj without the proper visa can face sanctions such as a maximum fine of 10,000 Saudi Arabian riyal (Rp 440 million), detention or deportation.
Riyadh has increased patrols and surveillance in a clampdown on illegal pilgrims for haj 2025, which runs from June 4 to 9. It has granted Indonesia a quota of 221,000 pilgrims this year.
An estimated 1.8 million Muslims from across the globe are expected to travel to Mecca for haj this year. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
