Domestic pilgrims fear they will have to pay more after the recent decision by the Ministry of Haj to reduce the number of pilgrims by 50 percent.
The decision has angered local Haj companies. Eighty companies took their complaints to court. Other companies are threatening to increase the cost of Haj per individual to cover the big deduction in pilgrims’ number.
Minister of Haj Bandar Hajjar said that a new strategy would be followed to keep prices at a normal level.
Fayez Al-Hamed, a Saudi citizen who performs Haj every two years, said that domestic Haj companies usually increase the prices. This year he had been told to postpone his booking until the company had determined the new prices.
“I used to perform Haj with a local company owned by my cousin. There is a little increase in the prices each year. Such an increase is reasonable for everyone, since the annual inflation rate is estimated at 5 percent. This year, when I asked about the new prices, they said these had not yet been determined but could amount to an increase of 50 percent,” he said.
Abdullah Ghazi, the owner of a local Haj company, said that the ministry’s move is legal and welcomed by all companies since there is a need to reduce the number of pilgrims. However, he criticized the strategy to reduce the number of pilgrims in each company.
“Every year the companies took pilgrims after the ministry evaluated the company’s performance and capacity in the previous year. Such a strategy is fair enough. The new strategy would reduce the share of each company to 50 percent. That is unfair and would mean big losses for each company,” he said.
“Most local companies are now planning to increase the prices by 50 percent. This is unhealthy for the Saudi market. High prices would stop pilgrims from performing Haj. Moreover, the number of pilgrims coming from abroad would be reduced by 20 percent. This would influence local religious tourism.”
Beside Haj companies, hotels are also looking to increase the prices during Haj to cover expected losses.
“We determine the prices based on general factors like the inflation rate, peak times, expansion works at the holy sites, and the number of pilgrims. This year we suffered big losses because the visa period was reduced to 15 days only. Many Umrah performers preferred to spend these 15 days at the homes of relatives or in the holy mosque. Because of these losses, we are planning to make the best of Haj season,” said Samer Salama, a receptionist at a three-star hotel in Makkah.
“Most hotels are now determining their new prices, and these will not be issued till they are sure of the Haj Ministry’s decision on the reduction in the number of pilgrims.”
Cut in number of local pilgrims to raise Haj cost
