Over 200 Gambian pilgrims for Hajj have been denied access to Mecca, people providing Hajj package service told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia has been controlling the number of pilgrims to Mecca this year due to the ongoing renovation in many Hajj areas. Officials thus reduced Hajj trips by cutting flights and visas.

Many Gambians were angered by the moves since they had put aside family and other important issues for the pilgrimage, but now all efforts went futile.

Hajj is such an important pilgrimage that Muslims believe they have to perform at least once in their lifetime.

More than 5,000 Gambians visit Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia each year for Umrah and Hajj.

Hajj 2015 falls on Sept. 22-26. Mecca pilgrimages at other times are called Umrah, or the "lesser pilgrimage".