“It is Haram for anyone who arrives in the Kingdom on an Umrah visa to stay until the Haj season to perform the fifth pillar of Islam,” Al-Obaikan told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

He added that the Umrah of a person who comes to the Kingdom on an Umrah visa would be okay, but it would be Haram for the person to overstay until Haj.

“Disrespecting rules and regulations of a country is not permissible according to Shariah. These rules have been formulated for the welfare of Muslims from both the Kingdom and abroad. Breaking them is not permissible according to the Shariah,” he said.

He added that people who visit the Kingdom should use their visas for the purposes for which they were issued. “If someone is granted a visa to perform Umrah he should do that and return home. It will be Haram for him to prolong his stay to perform Haj,” he said.