JEDDAH, 27 January — The Ministry of Haj has warned foreign diplomatic missions against providing Haj services to their nationals living in the Kingdom.
Speaking at a meeting of the domestic Haj service organizations in Jeddah on Friday, Minister of Haj Iyad Madani said action will be taken against those found to have involved in such illegal practices.
Madani said local Haj establishments need to improve their performance and the quality of services to domestic pilgrims. This will enable the pilgrims to concentrate on religious duties instead of occupying themselves with such matters as accommodation and transportation.
Based on a study on the performance of the establishments in the past, the ministry realized the need to revise the rules pertaining to domestic pilgrims, the minister said.
He added that the ministry was working on a plan to alleviate the sufferings of Saudi and expatriate pilgrims.
Many pilgrims had been complaining about the sub-standard services offered by the Haj establishments. The pilgrims said they had to spend much time chasing local Haj agents in order to obtain the services promised to them.
Madani said the ministry has developed a new mechanism that would end difficulties and problems experienced by domestic pilgrims in the past. The private sector will be empowered to provide Haj services on certain specifications and standards that would satisfy the varying needs of pilgrims.
More than 800 Saudi establishments are licensed to serve domestic pilgrims while some 500 are awaiting permission to join the list. Local agents have expressed fear over the rapid growth of these offices and the effects this could have on the standard of services provided.
Madani spoke of efforts under way to develop a new system that would allow for the merger of the mushrooming Haj establishments by turning them into larger companies.
Pilgrims traveling to Makkah through local establishments are charged depending on the distance covered and the type of services provided. Based on last year’s rates, pilgrims from Jeddah paid a minimum of SR2,000 for transport, accommodation and meals. Those coming from far-off regions like Riyadh and the Eastern Province pay more.
The minister said the organizations that ignored their commitments to the pilgrims will be made to pay back their money.
Around one million pilgrims from inside the Kingdom, drawn up from the local Saudi population and foreign workers and their families, perform Haj every year. A similar number comes from outside Saudi Arabia. Saudis and expatriates are allowed to perform Haj only once every five years to make room for more foreign pilgrims.
