Jeddah police have taken measures to prevent unauthorized Haj pilgrims from gaining access to Makkah through dirt roads around Jeddah.

First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman for the department, said: “Police personnel and equipment have been deployed at various locations to set up checkpoints to stop those without Haj permits from infiltrating checkpoints to reach Makkah.”

“Our objective is to make the Haj experience smooth for those who have permits and for pilgrims who have come from abroad. Allowing pilgrims without permits creates crowding.

Individuals found transporting pilgrims without permits will face penalties,” he said.

Al-Bouq said that plans are in place to provide top-notch services to pilgrims and visitors to the holy places. “This is a spiritual experience, and the worshippers need to have the peace of mind to perform their religious duties,” he added.

Al-Bouq called on citizens to cooperate with the police and report violations to authorities. “They can call the operations rooms or go directly to the teams deployed in the field,” he said.