JEDDAH, 21 January 2006 — A prominent insurance expert has called for the introduction of insurance service to foreign pilgrims coming for Haj and Umrah as part of the government’s efforts to provide them with better health services and facilities.
Dr. Abdalelah Saaty, chairman of the insurance council at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, however, said such insurance policies should not be made mandatory on pilgrims. “It will not be possible to impose insurance on all pilgrims,” Saaty told Arab News.
He said a number of Saudi companies have already expressed their desire to offer a variety of insurance policies to pilgrims, covering services such as health care, lost baggage, accommodation, air ticket and airlift of body in case of death.
“Insurance is good for pilgrims as it’ll help them receive better services in addition to the services offered by the government,” Saaty pointed out. He said insurance premiums for such services must be moderate and affordable to pilgrims.
According to a report carried by Al-Watan Arabic daily yesterday, Health Minister Dr. Hamad Al-Manie has already presented a study on the possibility of applying health insurance on foreign pilgrims and visitors to higher authorities.
“Such a scheme is already in place in many other countries where insurance premiums are added to ticket fares of visitors,” the paper said quoting Dr. Yasser Al-Ghamdi, director general of health in the Makkah region.
However, Al-Ghamdi said the plan to introduce health insurance on foreign pilgrims was still being studied by the Council of Ministers.
“Once the scheme is approved, insurance companies will be allowed to provide the service to Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as other foreign visitors,” he added.
Saaty, who is professor of insurance at King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, said a good number of (at least 10,000) pilgrims should join the scheme to make it feasible.
He said such insurance services should be approved first by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), which must make sure that the insurance companies fulfilled their promises to the pilgrims. “As the service is provided to people from other countries, a government body like SAMA should oversee the service to make sure that it is done in the right manner,” he said.
Saaty favored a gradual implementation of the service in coordination with the Haj and health ministries. He disclosed that some Southeast Asian pilgrims were already enjoying the fruit of such insurance services.
