The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a clarification on reports that Saudi Arabia has issued a ban on Indians travelling to the Middle Eastern kingdom. According to the MEA, there is no notification in this regard yet.
This came amid reports that Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended the issuance of block work visas for citizens of 14 nations, including India. The other countries affected by the ban include Bangladesh, India, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Kenya, and Turkey.
However, the MEA said the move is tied to the ongoing Hajj season and the kingdom has temporarily banned other kinds of visas, such as e-visas, family visit visas, and tourist visas. The temporary ban would end with the conclusion of Hajj. "The Saudi Government has not issued any notification on this matter. As a matter of practice, during the Hajj season, temporary restrictions are imposed on short-term visas to prevent overcrowding, which will end with the conclusion of Hajj," News18 quoted sources.
Block work visas are usually issued to employers who will use them to bring employees into the country to meet labour requirements. These are mostly in the construction and hospitality sectors. Since the employees come in bulk, the kingdom issued these restrictions to avoid overcrowding, especially during the Hajj period. This had compromised the health and safety standards during the Hajj last time.
This time, over 1.6 million pilgrims descended in Saudi Arabia for the year's Hajj, all of who has completed the second day of Tashreeq — a spiritually significant stage marked by the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina on Sunday. This will be followed by pilgrims visiting the Grand Mosque in Makkah to perform the farewell circumambulation which is the final rite of Hajj. This marks the end of the pilgrimage, after which pilgrims begin their journeys back to their home countries.
