His views are shared by many Saudis. The city of Makkah is home to many illegal residents who are often a source of cheap labor during the Haj and Umrah season, especially for hotels and furnished accommodations close to the Grand Mosque.

While the government is spending billions of riyals to improve services to pilgrims, many Saudis break the law by employing illegal foreigners, something that has now become very widespread.

However, according to Al-Suhali, most hotels and furnished apartments around the Grand Mosque are run by foreigners who operate in the name of Saudi citizens, and that it is they who employ illegal residents.

“The employment of an illegal foreigner is a gross violation of the law. And it is against Islam," said Al-Suhali, adding that these men tend to treat pilgrims in an unfit manner that is far removed from Islamic teachings.

“You can check police records and find most crimes are committed by illegal foreigners," he added.

It used to be the responsibility of the Passport Department to search for overstayers employed by companies or businesses.

This responsibility was, however, shifted two years ago to the Labor Office. The Passport Department is now only asked to help Labor Office officials when they visit establishments to look for illegal residents. This is thought to be the major reason why so many illegal residents are employed in the pilgrim service industry.

The problem is hotly debated after  a 15-year-old Algerian-French girl in Makkah died after falling from the roof of a hotel, two illegal Yemenis employed at the hotel were arrested in relation to the death.

Al-Suhali said the death was politicized and that it was an accident more than anything else.

“The Yemeni arrested in relation to the death of the Algerian-French girl was a receptionist at the hotel where she was staying. A few days earlier he had quarreled with a pilgrim and beat him badly. This means he was violent by nature. He should have been arrested and deported then,” he said.

Recently, an Indonesian driver and his wife stole furniture, jewelry and other valuables from a Saudi family after gaining their trust.

The couple had been illegally working for the family for eight months and had been left to look after the family’s home when they went abroad on holiday.

Likewise, an Egyptian driver was arrested and deported for harassing a Saudi woman.

The man had arrived in the Kingdom on a work visa and asked his sponsor to let him free in lieu of a certain amount of money that he would give him every month. The man then began a pick-up and drop-off business and began driving a Saudi woman to work. He, however, began sexually harassing her, something that eventually led to his arrest.