RIYADH: As part of efforts to improve services to Umrah pilgrims, registered Umrah operators will now be able to electronically send their applications for visas to the Ministry of Haj.
“The Ministry of Haj has been implementing several new regulations in coordination with other related departments to improve services to pilgrims and weed out the practice of some pilgrims staying behind after their permitted time of stay,” Haj Minister Fuad Al-Farsy said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency yesterday.
“Companies would now have to submit all details of their pilgrim services, such as the number of pilgrims they intend to bring from abroad, the mode of their arrival into the Kingdom, the names of hotels where each pilgrim would be accommodated, their period of stay, the mode of transportation provided to them in the Kingdom and other services the companies would be offering them,” he said.
“After confirming all such details, the Ministry of Haj will send applications to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the issuing of visas,” he added. He said the ministry has recruited sufficient hands to scrutinize applications and resolve any problems that may arise in the process. The new regulations would also make it easy for the ministry to check if a company is violating regulations, he said.
The ministry will also evaluate the services of licensed Umrah establishments. “The General Administration for the Affairs of Umrah Companies and Establishments will also document agreements made by the companies with their agents in foreign countries,” he said.
He added that after the Umrah season ended last year, the ministry told Umrah companies that they needed to take steps to improve their services in light of some failures by some companies. The ministry also asked them to fulfill all commitments to pilgrims and make preparations for this year’s Umrah in advance.
“The ministry also asked Umrah companies to ascertain the visa processing capacity of Saudi missions abroad while formulating their pilgrims’ arrival schedule and inform the Haj Ministry about the arrival schedule in advance.”
He added that the number of violations by Umrah operating companies had fallen considerably last year. “The number of companies involved in violations of Umrah regulations came down to eight. A committee comprising the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Industry besides the Ministry of Haj was set up to look into such violations and examine complaints against the companies.
