Biometric system for pilgrims to be in effect soon

Saudia Arabia houses the two most sacred cities of the Islamic Religion. Makkah where the holy Kaabah i.e., Masjid-al-Haram is and Madinah where Roza-e-Rasool (SAWW) i.e., Masjid-al-Nabawi is. Despite, there are thousands of other sacred hills, places, mosques, caves, graveyards and mountains of great spiritual and historical importance for Muslims.

For this reason, millions of Muslims travel all-round the year for the holy rituals of Umrah and Hajj in the Kingdom. Travelling through their hometowns, Muslims reach Saudia Arabia through their Umrah Packages from UK and other countries. They gather here and offer the rituals of minor pilgrimage individually all around the year while Hajj is an annual Ibadah.

Why Biometric System for pilgrims is necessary?

With an ever-increasing number of pilgrims coming to the holy land every year, the need for security advancements is essential. In this regard, Saudi Arabian Hajj Ministry has revised much of its policies keeping in view the ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ plan while also adhering to the ‘safe borders’ concept. Consequently, every pilgrim travelling for Hajj or Umrah needs to get its biometric verifications done from ministry-approved centers only. So that a safe pilgrimage can be ensured for pilgrims.

1. Criminal Scanning.

One of the most prominent advantages of a biometric system for pilgrims is that it can help officials scan and filter out the wanted persons in the process. Not only crossing the borders would be difficult for such a person but also with an internationally linked security network, illegal movements can also be minimized with efficient management and border security.

2. National Security.

Another great benefit of the biometric system for pilgrims is that it helps Saudi Arabian security personnel ensure a more reliable and strong security network for the nationals living there. Since every person entering or leaving the country is kept in check, the crime rate can effectively be minimized to an appreciable extent.

What type of Biometric System will be implemented?

While there are many ways of biometric identification in the world, Saudi Arabia has just initiated the verification system based on “Fingerprinting” for pilgrims. Not only it’s much more reliable and trustworthy but also it makes the process very smooth and easy-going. Therefore, helping officials conduct hundreds of Biometric identifications within an hour.

What would happen if Biometric identification is unreliable?

If a pilgrim travelling for umrah has an unsatisfactory legal background or isn’t capable of identifying himself/herself through legal channels, the Umrah/Hajj visa would straightforwardly be rejected. In short, he/she wouldn’t be able to travel for the pilgrimage unless and until biometric is approved.

Who is exempt from Biometric Identification for Hajj/Umrah visa?

Though getting the Biometric verification done is necessary for every pilgrim travelling to the holy land, children under the age of six and adults over the age of 80 years are an exception.