JEDDAH, 30 December — Minister of Haj Iyad Madani has dismissed allegations by some domestic pilgrim service establishments about irregularities in allocations of tents at the holy site of Mina.
Several Haj service companies have expressed dissatisfaction over the allocation of pilgrim tents in Mina announced recently by the ministry and said they fear losses amounting to SR25 million during the current Haj season.
The minister said he did not consider these establishments as investors in the sector as they were not making use of the Haj service licenses issued to them. This is evident from the fact that these firms have not yet taken charge of the tents allocated to them nor have they started negotiations for signing contracts with food supply companies, Al-Watan newspaper quoted Madani as saying.
The minister clarified that issuance of permits by the ministry does not necessarily entail allocation of tents because the allocations are made on the basis of certain conditions.
He said under the instructions of the higher authorities establishments serving foreign pilgrims would have priority in tent allocations.
The minister also rejected charges of favoring certain companies while deciding the tent allotments. The decisions were made on the basis of studies conducted by an independent body which comprised engineers and representatives of the ministry and the chambers of commerce and industry, the minister explained.
He affirmed that the ministry did not intend to review the allotments for domestic pilgrims. "The ministry in any circumstance does not intend to review the allocations already made as it is convinced that the system is fool-proof," said Madani.
The minister advised the domestic pilgrim establishments to explore ways to strengthen their operations by merging smaller companies.
The service companies allege that the methods adopted by the ministry in allotting tents leave several loopholes that might encourage a black market in pilgrim permits. They also fear that it will lead to an increase in the number of pilgrims who camp on pavements and in streets.
They say that the ministry has underestimated the capabilities of some companies while others are given tent facilities well above the number of pilgrim permits they have been issued. According to the current Haj regulations governing domestic pilgrims, each service establishment has been allotted a fixed number of pilgrims. Last year the ministry imposed penalties on establishments that registered more number of pilgrims than they were allowed to.
The establishments also voiced their displeasure over allocating tents on the fringes of Mina. This will make their tents unattractive to pilgrims, who will prefer to camp in areas close to the Jamarat, they complained.
