Saudi Arabia urges Umrah pilgrims not to carry large amounts of cash, jewellery

Saudi Arabian's Ministry of Haj and Umrah sent out an advisory requesting pilgrims from outside the country to refrain from carrying large sums of cash and expensive items when travelling to perform the lesser pilgrimage.

The Ministry has also warned the pilgrims against exposing themselves to financial fraud, calling them to download bank apps from official sources.

In a social media post, the authority advised pilgrims not to bring gold bullion, precious stones and valuable precious metal in general and to carry a maximum of $16,000 (SAR 60,000) in cash.

"Guests of Allah travelling to Saudi Arabia are advised NOT to carry: Any currency, jewellery, gold bullions, precious metals and stones, Bearer-Negotiable Instruments (BNIs) worth SAR60,000 (US$16,000) or more."

The authority warned visitors of financial fraud and advised them to use only authorised banks and money exchange providers to transfer or exchange currency. "When transferring money or exchanging foreign currency, pilgrims and Umrah performers should only make use of the services provided by fully licensed financial institutions."

The pilgrims must keep their bank card information private and not transfer money to unknown sources, and should check the reliability of the electronic links before paying.

Three types of credit cards are acceptable in Saudi Arabia to complete all financial transactions - Mastercard, Visa and American Express.

• Imsak, Iftar in air: How Emirates is preparing for Ramadan, helping faithful passengers