The ministry announced the ban in a circular Tuesday to the Director General of the Affairs of Pilgrims Ibrahim bin Muhammad Al-Jabri.
The ministry has also asked the companies not to randomly put cloth banners in various languages on the accommodation of pilgrims in Makkah and the holy sites.
“It was noted last year that banners in different sizes and colors were put on the accommodation of pilgrims, lamp posts and pavements. This had an adverse effect on the civilized look of the city. This should not be repeated this year,” the ministry warned.
It asked the Makkah municipality to give the task to one of the specialized advertising agencies through a public tender and said whoever wants to advertise or put up banners should do so by hiring the agency.
The ministry will authorize the winning agency to remove all posters that are randomly put up by Haj service companies.
“Government departments, Tawafa establishments and welfare societies wishing to put up such posters as part of their awareness campaigns should do this through the authorized advertising agency,” it said.
The General Syndicate of Cars announced vacancies for citizens and expatriates to work as drivers, mechanics and technicians for one month during the Haj season.
It said government employees could take a month’s leave while foreigners working for individual sponsors or Saudi establishments should present a consent letter from their sponsors.
A total of 61,429 pilgrims arrived in Madinah as of Monday although around 200 of them have left, leaving 61,222 still remaining in the holy city, according to statistics from the Madinah Haj Committee.
