Saudi Arabia will temporarily suspend short-term visas for citizens from 14 countries, including India, in a bid to regulate tourist arrivals ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage in June, Gulf News reported on Monday.

The ban, effective from April 13, will apply to citizens from India, Egypt, Pakistan, Yemen, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Nigeria, Algeria, Indonesia, Iraq, Sudan, Bangladesh and Libya. It will last until mid-June, when the Hajj pilgrimage concludes.

The suspension of short-term visas for individuals from these countries will include a ban on business visit visas, e-tourist visas and family visit visas.

However, travellers from these countries who currently hold valid visas will be allowed to enter the country until April 13 but must leave by April 29.

“The Ministry affirms that staying after this date is a violation, subject to legal penalties,” the country’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said.

The Hajj pilgrimage is one of the five key obligations of Islam that Muslims with the means to do so are expected to fulfil at least once in their lifetime. The dates of the Hajj are determined by the position of the moon according to the Islamic lunar calendar. The ritual lasts several days and ends in Mecca.

It is scheduled to start on June 6 and conclude on June 11 this year, depending on the position of the moon.

The country's tourism ministry had previously announced that a fine of 10,000 Saudi riyals, or over Rs 2.27 lakh will be levied on anyone – whether a citizen, resident, or visitor – who tries to enter Mecca without a valid Hajj permit.

Authorities have highlighted the need to secure the correct visa for religious travel and cautioned about legal penalties for non-compliance.

“Authorities have identified the countries that contributed to the crisis last year,” said Basil Al Sisi, a member of Egypt’s Chamber of Tourism Companies. He was referring to people who used short-term or non-Hajj-specific visas for Hajj, according to Gulf News.

The 2024 Hajj pilgrimage saw the death of at least 900 pilgrims, mostly due to heat exhaustion and related complications.