Illegal foreigners make money by taking photographs of pilgrims in holy sites, providing them camel rides or selling Arab dresses.
“We have assembled at Jabal Al-Rahmah (the Mount of Mercy) in Arafat to cater to the needs of the pilgrims,” said one such foreigner, who wished to remain anonymous. “We make a lot of money in a very short time from this business while evading the attention of the authorities.”
Qaid Ali, a Yemeni overstayer, told Arab News that he has been making Jabal Al-Rahmah a strategic place for his trade for more than six years.
“My business consists of taking photographs of pilgrims who want a memento of their visit. They prefer to have their shots taken on top of Jabal Al-Rahmah or at the foot of the hill riding a camel,” he said.
Qaid said 12 shots worth of film for his camera costs SR10 and he sells only one picture for the amount.
“I make SR120 from each film. I use about five films a day and make a daily income of between SR600 and SR800,” he said.
Arshad Ali, a Bangladeshi, said he sells photos of the two holy cities and the holy places in Makkah in addition to wooden worry beads.
“I sell a small worry bead for SR5 and a big one for SR10, while I buy a dozen of them for less than SR50 from downtown Makkah,” he said.
Arshad said he sells about five to six dozens of worry beads a day in addition to a large number of photos and postcards of Makkah and Madinah.
“I make a daily income of between SR800 and SR1,000,” he said.
Seif Ali, a Yemeni, claims to be the oldest illegal foreigner plying his trade in Arafat.
He said he and six fellow Yemenis rent camels from camel herders and owners in nearby villages for SR50 per animal.
“We give rides to pilgrims who want to take photographs for SR10 and charge SR20 for those wishing to sit on top of the camels for a maximum of 12 minutes,” he said.
Ali proudly said he is making a daily income of close to SR1,000 from this business despite the fact passport officials carry out regular campaigns to arrest and deport illegal residents.
