Saudi Arabia has specified hefty penalties against the misuse of a temporary work visa linked to services offered during the annual Hajj pilgrimage season and Umrah or minor pilgrimage in line with recently approved rules. Anyone found to have sold a temporary work visa for Hajj and Umrah services, or transferred it to others, or used it for anything other than its purpose, will be penalised, according to the new regulations. A maximum fine of SR50,000, or a ban on entering competitions for temporary work related to Hajj and Umrah services will be imposed on the violator for up to five years, or both penalties, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported. In all cases, the violator will have to pay equal to the earnings he/she obtained as a result of the infringement. The penalty would vary based on the number of violations. Furthermore, an applicant for a temporary work visa for Hajj and Umrah services, whose registered address, data, or submitted documents prove incorrect, will be liable to a maximum fine of SR15,000. The updated rules, moreover, stipulate that the applicant for a temporary work visa for Hajj and Umrah services must provide a financial guarantee of SR2,000 for each worker to […]