Saudi security forces have arrested 34 people in a series of operations targeting unauthorised Hajj activity ahead of the 2026 season, including 18 residents caught forging Nusuk cards and Hajj wristbands, five people attempting to enter Makkah on foot through the desert, and an individual promoting fraudulent Hajj services on social media.

The Arrests

According to Arab News, the 34 detentions span multiple separate operations:

  • 18 Afghan and Pakistani nationals arrested for forging residency permits, Nusuk cards, and the mandatory Hajj wristbands. These counterfeit documents would have allowed them to bypass security checkpoints and access the sacred sites without official permits.
  • 5 Afghan residents detained after attempting to enter Makkah on foot through desert terrain, bypassing road checkpoints entirely. This highlights the lengths to which some will go to perform Hajj without authorisation - and the surveillance measures Saudi Arabia has deployed to prevent it.
  • 10 residents from Sudan, Egypt, and Yemen detained for attempting unauthorised entry and residence in Makkah during the restricted Hajj season period.
  • 1 Indonesian resident apprehended for promoting fraudulent Hajj services on social media and possessing forged Hajj cards.

All 34 detainees have been referred to Public Prosecution for legal action.

Why People Attempt Unauthorised Hajj

The motivations are understandable even if the actions are not. For many Muslims, Hajj is the aspiration of a lifetime. Quota systems mean some countries have waiting lists of 20+ years. The cost of official Hajj packages can exceed a family's annual income. Faced with these barriers, a small number of people each year attempt to perform Hajj without going through official channels.

The consequences, however, are severe: fines of 20,000-100,000 SAR, deportation, and a 10-year ban from re-entering Saudi Arabia. For facilitators, penalties reach 7 years in prison and 5 million SAR.

The Human Cost of Unauthorised Hajj

Beyond legal penalties, performing Hajj without a permit is genuinely dangerous. The 2024 heat crisis killed over 1,300 pilgrims - the overwhelming majority were unregistered. Without permits, these pilgrims had no access to air-conditioned tents in Mina, no assigned medical facilities, no organised transport between sites, and no smart wristband monitoring their vital signs.

When temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius, they had nowhere to go. Official pilgrims, by contrast, had access to the full infrastructure of shade, cooling, medical care, and emergency response that Saudi Arabia deploys each year.

How Saudi Arabia is Enforcing

The enforcement operation extends well beyond road checkpoints:

  • Desert surveillance detecting individuals attempting to bypass roads entirely
  • Digital monitoring flagging forged Nusuk cards and permits at access points
  • Social media monitoring identifying fraudulent Hajj advertisements
  • Community reporting via 911 (Makkah, Riyadh, Madinah, Eastern Province) and 999 (rest of Kingdom)

The Nusuk card system makes enforcement significantly more effective than in previous years. Every legitimate pilgrim is digitally registered, so anyone without a valid digital identity is immediately identifiable at any checkpoint or access point.

The Message to Pilgrims

If you have a valid Hajj permit and Nusuk card, these enforcement measures protect you - they ensure the sacred sites are not dangerously overcrowded and that medical and transport services are not overwhelmed. Keep your documentation accessible at all times and cooperate with security personnel at checkpoints. The few seconds of inconvenience at each checkpoint are the price of a safer Hajj for everyone.