JEDDAH: The Ministry of Haj on Saturday instructed companies that provide Umrah services not to inspect hotels and other buildings for those who stay back after performing Umrah unless they get official permission from competent authorities.
“Umrah service providers looking for overstayers in hotels and other accommodations is a violation of regulations as there are other government departments authorized to arrest illegally staying people.
“Unauthorized people undertaking the duty reserved for security officials or the Passport Department is against the law and could lead to undesirable situations,” Isa Rawas, undersecretary for Umrah affairs at the Haj Ministry, said in a circular on Saturday.
In a recent order the ministry also demanded Umrah service providers to fulfill all conditions governing the housing and transportation of pilgrims such as providing the pilgrims with good accommodation and transportation. There should also be coordination with related agencies at the time of the pilgrims’ arrival and departure from the country, the order said.
More than four million foreign Umrah pilgrims are expected to arrive this year, an informed sources told Arab News. The Umrah companies hope that this year there would be good business unlike the last season when the fear of H1N1 flu made thousands of foreigners cancel their pilgrimage plans.
