Urgent: One million riyal fine... Building owners in Mecca and Medina warned against housing pilgrims without a license

She confirmed Ministry of Tourism The need for building owners to comply with Mecca The city of Medina is prohibited from operating any tourist hospitality activity without a license, and buildings that have obtained “temporary lodge” licenses for housing pilgrims issued by the Ministry of Tourism shall not be operated except during the Hajj season only.
The confirmation comes in the context of its efforts to regulate Hospitality sector The activity of housing pilgrims, and improving the quality of hospitality services provided to the guests of God, in preparation for the upcoming Hajj season.
The ministry worked to regulate the pilgrim housing sector by introducing a service for issuing “temporary lodge” licenses to building owners wishing to practice this activity in Makkah and Madinah.
It also launched a service that enables operators of tourist hospitality facilities to increase their capacity during the Hajj season, in accordance with controls and specifications approved by the Ministry, provided that the validity of these services is limited to the Hajj season only.

Increased capacity

These services have contributed to increasing the capacity of the hospitality sector in Makkah and Madinah, enhancing the sector's readiness to receive pilgrims, and providing them with standardized facilities offering quality accommodation.
In this context, the Ministry announced that the penalty for practicing tourism hospitality without a license is up to one million riyals. It also indicated that holders of temporary accommodation licenses operating before the Hajj season are violating licensing requirements and will incur fines of up to one million riyals, in addition to the cancellation of the temporary accommodation license.
The Ministry also emphasized its intensified oversight efforts in Makkah and Madinah, including inspection visits to pilgrim accommodations to ensure compliance with quality standards and licensing requirements, guaranteeing their readiness to receive pilgrims and provide services that enrich their journey and enable them to perform their rituals with ease and peace of mind.