Beware! … “Business Visa” To Saudi Arabia Is A Trick And Illusion To Steal Your Money

The Saudi Embassy in Algeria has warned that the Algerian pilgrims shouldn’t fall victim to the lure of the so-called “business visa” to fulfill the Hajj or Pilgrimage rituals.

This is due to the nagging confusion caused by this type of visa last year when 47 Algerian pilgrims were stranded in Saudi Arabia and rounded up after falling into the trap of greedy persons because of the fraud committed by some shadowy travel agencies. 

The granting of this type of business visa, it stressed, has been frozen since the last month of Ramadan, and that anyone talking about granting these type of visas, will be accused of circumventing those wishing to go to the holy places of Islam.

With the approach of the Hajj or pilgrimage season, the controversy has re-emerged regarding the so-called “business visa” used as an alternative by some Algerians who have not been lucky in the yearly drawing of lots to perform the Hajj. 

This special visa turned out to be a scam and an illusion by owners of certain fake tourist agencies bent on making money even at the expense of the worshippers.

“The Saudi Embassy in Algeria warned pilgrims against falling into this trap and explained that there is no business visa in this period, and that the official visa is granted by the Embassy services only to those pilgrims who are winners in the regular lottery or who are granted a “courtesy visa”, stressing that the visa business is issued only to large business companies, and over a limited period”.

For his part, the Office of Hajj and Umrah, likewise confirmed in Algiers that only the visas granted to perform the Hajj rituals for the benefit of the 2017 lottery winners or for the holders of a “Courtesy Visa” issued by the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Algeria are valid.