Key Takeaways
- This claim is fabricated social media content designed to drive engagement
- Biometric data for Hajj is collected before travel, not at the airport on arrival
- Saudi Arabia uses the Saudi Visa Bio app to capture fingerprints and a facial image during the visa process
Pilgrims who arrived in Madinah this Hajj season were not scanned for fingerprints at the airport. Saudi Arabia requires all Hajj pilgrims to submit biometrics — a facial image and fingerprints — before the visa can be finalised, done through the Saudi Visa Bio app, available on Android and iOS. This happens weeks or months before the pilgrim ever boards a flight.
The process takes under 10 minutes from a smartphone and requires no embassy visit. Pilgrims who cannot complete it on the app can visit a Tasheer Centre in their home country.
The Claim
Social media posts claim that women arriving at Madinah airport for Hajj were sent home because henna on their hands prevented fingerprint scanning. These posts say the women failed biometric checks at the airport and were denied entry.
The Reality (Fact Check)
This claim is false.
Saudi Arabia requires every Hajj pilgrim to submit biometric data — a facial image and fingerprints — before a visa is issued.
Pilgrims complete this requirement using the Saudi Visa Bio app while still in their home country.
The biometric step is finished before travel starts. There is no fingerprint scan at Madinah airport that would block entry due to henna.
No evidence supports the viral posts. The rumor was created to gain online attention, not to share accurate information.
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