DOHA: The exploitative prices of Umrah visas have become an issue once again, with many aspiring pilgrims complaining of a sudden hike in the fees by tour operators ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
Several nationals and expatriates have called on the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to intervene to curb the fee hike. The Haj and Umrah Department has been fixing the Haj tariffs every year, but has so far abstained from controlling the Umrah fees.
People say that tour operators are cashing in on a rise in the number of pilgrims performing Umrah during Ramadan.
"This happens every year during Ramadan. The fee for an Umrah visa has gone up from the normal QR250 to QR500. Some agents are charging up to QR700, despite the fact that the Saudi Embassy is issuing Umrah visas free of charge," said a concerned expatriate.
There are authorised tour operators (Muqawils) conducting Umrah trips, but many expatriates prefer to travel to Saudi Arabia by road in their own vehicles. All they require is a visa issued by the Saudi Embassy here.
Since applications for visas should be routed through the authorised agents, they tend to exploit the situation by hiking the visa fees that are decided by themselves.
Several sub agents and middlemen are also allegedly operating in the market by helping aspiring pilgrims to procure a visa at an extra cost.
© The Peninsula 2011
