Expats who went for illegal Haj to be sacked, deported

October 19, 2013

Jeddah, Oct 19: The Passport Department has sent text messages to sponsors and employers to fire their expatriate employees who performed Haj illegally this year, in preparation for their deportation.

The Kingdom's security agencies used new fingerprinting devices in Makkah and the holy sites this year to detect expatriates without Haj permits.

Ali Massoud, who has a barbershop in Jeddah, told Arab News he received a message to fire his workers.

“I have two Egyptian workers who went to Haj without permits. They did not tell me about their plans. I received a text message to end their contracts because they will be deported following their return from Haj,” said Massoud.

Khaled Abbas, a human resources supervisor at a private company, said his office also received SMSs from the passport department.

“We have a number of expat workers who went to perform Haj without permits. We received text messages to end their contracts when they return from Makkah. We will pay all their financial obligations to help them leave the Kingdom,” said Abbas.

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal had warned that expatriates found violating Haj rules would be deported and banned for 10 years. The governor also warned Saudi drivers they would face punishment for transporting illegal pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia has reduced the number of illegal pilgrims this year by 65 percent using the new fingerprinting devices, according to an Arabic daily. Prince Khaled said 15,000 illegal pilgrims were prevented from performing Haj this year.

Comments

i was in that case 2014 my finger print is taken at meeqat i did not go for hajj and i came back.before going back to my country i visited to the passport office and said that i have the issue they said no prob you can go.after 2 years now i came here and while entry there is no issue but when i am going back to country stopped me for immigration. i visited all of the pass[port offices and also in the airport they said no issue but while boarding issue raised.my request is for the saudi government that if some one accept his mistake and he needs to clear it legally so it should be given..

some body can help me how to remove haj fingers my iqama is expired and not renewed becoze of haj fingers
some body can help me i will pay as he want but just i need help some body know any person who can remove haj finger

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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