JEDDAH, 31 January 2003 — The Haj Ministry plans to require domestic Umrah pilgrims, both Saudi and expatriate, to use licensed Umrah service companies, according to Haj Minister Iyad Madani.

Madani told Arab News that the ministry has already submitted for approval a blueprint for the new scheme aimed at organizing domestic Umrah pilgrims.

At present Saudis and resident expatriates do not need a service company to perform Umrah. They can go directly to Makkah, in groups or individually, to perform the religious duties known as Umrah or the lesser pilgrimage.

Madani said his ministry developed the new plan in light of the success attained by its scheme for foreign Umrah pilgrims, who are now required to contract a Saudi Umrah company.

More than two million pilgrims from abroad came for Umrah last year. No exact figure is available on the number of domestic Umrah pilgrims, but observers believe the figure to be in excess of five million.

According to sources, the Haj Ministry has already received applications from national companies to provide services for domestic Umrah pilgrims. A panel at the ministry is studying the financial capabilities of these companies with a view to issuing licenses once the new scheme has been authorized.

Madani said specialized companies would be licensed in order to provide the best possible services to Umrah pilgrims. The ministry introduced the same scheme for foreign Umrah pilgrims two years ago.

The sources agreed that the new measure was not intended to reduce the number of domestic pilgrims but to provide them with better services. However, the ministry is to put a ceiling on the number of pilgrims performing Umrah per month to reduce overcrowding.

For foreign pilgrims, the Haj Ministry will issue Umrah visas from April to December. Plans are also under way to reduce the validity of Umrah visas from three months to one month.

Meanwhile, a three-member panel is investigating 15 Umrah service companies for violating the ministry’s regulations, according to Dr. Saleh Banten, deputy minister for Umrah affairs. He said the companies, if found guilty, were liable to fines and cancellation of licenses.

This year more than 2.5 million pilgrims, including 1.5 million from abroad, are expected to perform Haj, one of the most important pillars of Islam.

Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed said the authorities have reduced the areas specified for government departments in Mina to create more room for Haj pilgrims. Speaking to reporters after inspecting arrangements to receive pilgrims at King Abdul Aziz International Airport (KAIA) in Jeddah, he urged government officials to make extra efforts in the service of the guests of God.

During the peak days of the Haj season, KAIA receives 80,000 pilgrims daily. One Haj flight touches down every two minutes, according to Dr. Ali Al-Khalaf, chief of the Presidency of Civil Aviation.

Twenty-four Iraq Airways flights have already arrived transporting the country’s pilgrims to the Kingdom.