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International Business Times
International Business Times
World
Haitham EL-TABEI

Hajj On The Cheap: Off-the-books Pilgrims Hide Out In Mecca

A billboard at a mall in Riyadh warns Muslim planning to take part in the annual hajj pilgrimage to the holy places that they should do so only if they have a permit (Credit: AFP)

Living on canned beans and meat, the 70-year-old Egyptian has been hiding out in a Mecca apartment for weeks, hoping to evade a Saudi dragnet and perform the hajj pilgrimage illegally.

The man -- who asked to be identified only as Mohammed, his first name -- is among tens of thousands of Muslims trying to complete the annual rite on the cheap, according to officials and travel agents.

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