Saudi Arabia: Residents arrested after fake Haj accommodation advertisements

The Directorate of Public Security called on citizens and residents to adhere to Haj regulations, and provided contact numbers to report violators

The Makkah Al-Mukarramah Region Police arrested two residents for publishing fake and misleading Hajj campaign advertisements that featured deceptive information about providing accommodation for pilgrims.

The Directorate of Public Security of Saudi Arabia called on citizens and residents to avoid responding to fake social media advertisements. These may include fraudulent information about services such as “performing Haj on behalf of others, securing and distributing sacrifices for the guests of God, selling Haj bracelets, and providing means of transportation”, the authority said in a post on X.

According to a statement by the directorate, ‘The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Project For Utilization Of Hady & Adahi’ is the official authority for selling and marketing sacrificial animals, ransom and charity bonds for Haj pilgrims.

Purchasing these services and tracking their implementation can be done through official platforms such as adahi.org website, Ehsan platform, or the unified number 920020193.

The directorate reiterated that citizens and residents must adhere to Haj regulations, and provided contact numbers to report violators. In the regions of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Riyadh and Al-Sharqiyah, the number 911 can be contacted. The number 999 is active in the rest of the country.

A Haj permit is required for citizens and visitors who wish to enter Makkah, the directorate announced earlier.

According to the country’s Ministry of Interior, a fine of 10,000 riyals (nearly Dh 9,800) will be imposed on citizens as well as visitors who are caught without a Haj permit in the following places:

• The city of Mecca
• Central area
• Sacred sites
• Al-Haramain Train Station in Al-Rasifa
• Security control centres
• Temporary security control centres
• Sorting centres

The implementation of the penalty is scheduled to start from June 2, 2024 till June 20, 2024.