Gulf | Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia sets September 15 deadline for Umrah visas
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set the 15th of Ramadan (September 15) as the deadline for issuing Umrah visas.
- By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent
- Published: 00:30 September 12, 2008
Riyadh: The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set the 15th of Ramadan (September 15) as the deadline for issuing Umrah visas.
According to new regulations issued by the Ministry of Haj, the last date for those performing Umrah to arrive in the kingdom shall coincide with the end of the Holy month of Ramadan of each Hijri year and the deadline for their departure shall be the 15th of Shawwal of each year.
Passport authorities have urged Umrah pilgrims whose visas have expired to leave the country forthwith and warned that overstayers face strict punishment.
People with Umrah visas often overstay for a good three months or more.
The director of the Ministry of Haj branch in Madinah, Hassan Bakri, said some 514,000 people were expected to reach Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage in a matter of a couple of weeks.
He said the vast majority of Haj pilgrims had already left for their respective countries and only 409,088 of them still remained in the kingdom.
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