JEDDAH, 23 December 2004 — Pilgrims coming for this Haj from Oman will be paying more for the package than last year.
“Haj will be more expensive than before,” Omani Haj Attache Hussain S. Al-Salmy told Arab News on telephone from Makkah yesterday. He said he could not give the exact increase but felt that it could be approximately between 25 and 40 percent compared to last year. “With the increase in cost, there has been an enhancement in quality of services and facilities provided,” he added.
The number of Hajis this year is nearly 16,000, as against about 18,000 last year. Of the total, 85 percent are Omanis and the rest expatriates living in the sultanate. The number of expatriates is fewer than in previous years. A large majority of them — nearly 90 percent — will arrive by road, with the first pilgrims arriving on Dec. 27.
Al-Salmy explained that the Haj operation is more organized this year, and that is one of the reasons for the price to go up. Earlier, there was no cap on the number of pilgrims. Many used to come without permission. This year the Omani Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments has signed with the Saudi Ministry of Haj an agreement that limits the number of pilgrims from Oman.
Moreover, the Omani ministry has enforced new rules for Haj pilgrims. Each Haji has to sign a contract with one of the nearly 100 companies for accommodation and transport services in the Kingdom.
Saleh Issa Al-Kindy, Oman Air’s Jeddah-based country manager for Saudi Arabia, said the airline would start extra flights for pilgrims beginning Jan. 4. It will operate a total of six flights, all to Madinah. The first flight will bring in 146 Hajis — all Omanis. The airline will fly in more than 800 Hajis. On the return leg, all flights will depart from the Haj Terminal in Jeddah.
