JEDDAH, 11 June — Saudi Umrah companies and Egyptian travel agents are expected to sign agreements soon following a breakthrough in talks on narrowing differences in implementing the conditions of the new Umrah system.
“We have achieved a major breakthrough,” Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Khereiji, chairman of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News after talks with Ilhamy Al-Zayyat, chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Chamber.
Some 200,000 Egyptian pilgrims were held up by the row triggered by a condition in the new law that states foreign agents must produce a bank guarantee for SR100,000 to their Saudi counterparts. Egyptians refused to comply saying that the condition was one-sided.
During talks at JCCI yesterday, Egyptian travel and tourism agents won assurances from Saudis that they will also receive similar guarantees.
Al-Khereiji said the Saudis and Egyptians agreed on certain rules and systems to handle the Umrah operation, adding that the two sides would sign contracts shortly. The meeting also discussed prospects of speedy issuance of Umrah visas.
Al-Khereiji said the Egyptians raised the issue of sharing the Kingdom’s hotel and transport market and the meeting decided that the Saudi firms would determine each country’s share.
The dispute was threatening business related to Umrah travel in both countries. Egypt sends 600,000 Umrah pilgrims annually.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Prince Naif, who is chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, yesterday urged Haj and Umrah organizations to coordinate with one another to extend the best possible services to pilgrims.
Addressing the chairman and members of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah Organizations, who were considering ways of improving pilgrim services, Prince Naif emphasized the need for solving all problems and obstacles faced by domestic pilgrims.
He said the Haj and Umrah agencies must fulfill their promise to provide quality services to the pilgrims.
