The Saudi government has significantly reduce the number of seasonal visas allocated for temporary workers to Mecca and Medina.

Nearly 70,000 "seasonal employment visas" are issued each year to workers who are then allowed to work in the cities of Mecca and Medina, for a short and limited time.

Workers earn by taking care of the needs of the pilgrims in the holy cities.

But the authorities have become stringent after a cleaning company last year had sold 2,200 work visas for seasonal workers based in Bangladesh

However, the government's directive to stop issuing work visas has hurt business and have already led to a loss of 600 million Saudi riyals (approximately 160 million).

Saad Jameel Qureshi, director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mecca, Arab News reported that delays in issuing seasonal visas are deplorable.

He said the reduction in the number of visas directly affect food to pilgrims.

According to him, there are not enough workers to supervise the production of about 26 million packets of food required daily during the Hajj season.

The Saudi Ministry of Labour, however, said that jobless Saudis should be hired for such seasonal jobs.

But according to the Journal report, many companies are struggling to recruit Saudis who are willing to work long hours in the transportation, cleaning and cooking sectors.