Bad news for India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and some other countries as Saudi Arabia suspends this visa, Check Full List here

The decision is primarily intended to prevent visa misuse and unauthorised participation in the Hajj pilgrimage, even though Saudi authorities have not issued an official public statement related to this.

New Delhi: In a major development ahead of the Hajj season, Saudi Arabia has made an important decision and decided to temporarily suspend the issuance of block work visas for citizens from 14 countries. According to the reports, the decision is attributed to administrative and security concerns, especially regarding the management of pilgrims and ensuring immigration compliance during the busy Hajj season. It is important to note that the decision came into effect in May 2025. Countries that will be impacted with this decision include India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jordan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, Kenya, and Turkey.

The decision is primarily intended to prevent visa misuse and unauthorised participation in the Hajj pilgrimage, even though Saudi authorities have not issued an official public statement related to this.

All you need to know about Block Work Visas:

• Block Work Visas are the visas that are mostly used by companies in the Gulf, who need them frequently to hire foreign labour.
• Saudi authorities usually pre-approve these visas in bulk, and employers then distribute them to employees from different nations.
• Reportedly, they are frequently employed in industries including domestic services, hospitality, and construction.
• The current suspension of this system for specific countries has raised concerns among employers who rely on this hiring route to meet labour demands.

What led to this decision?

The main reason behind the suspension is the concern that many individuals participate in Hajj without proper permits after entering the Kingdom on work, visit, or Umrah visas. To recall, last year, this led to serious logistical problems, including crowding and a burden on the pilgrimage’s health and safety procedures.

Considering the last year’s problems, Saudi Arabia has introduced stricter controls this year. Authorities want to ensure that only pilgrims with valid, officially issued Hajj visas are allowed to perform the ritual. The block visa suspension is expected to be one of several measures aimed at tightening these controls.