MAKKAH — Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said that more than SR160 million were refunded to the pilgrims during the last Hajj season, due to the Hajj service providing companies’ breach of the agreements concluded with them.

Addressing a press conference to brief on the ministry’s Hajj preparations and arrangements here on Thursday, the minister said that the ministry will not hesitate to apply penalties against any company that failed to meet the provisions of the Hajj agreements.

“A large number of observers are following up on the implementation of the agreed packages, and penalties will be applied to any company that does not abide by the implementation of the signed agreements. We do not only look at penalties, but we also care about incentives, and we work to motivate and honour any company that provides services that exceed expectations, and we have mechanisms to measure levels of satisfaction,” he said.

Al-Rabiah reviewed planning and early preparation for this year’s Hajj, as well as electronic services to facilitate the pilgrim’s journey, the developments of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in organizing Hajj, and the facilities that contribute to enabling the arrival of Umrah pilgrims.

He emphasized that this year witnessed the implementation of virtual Hajj experiences for the first time in order to ensure more efficiency. He pointed out that the Hajj will witness the return of the numbers of pilgrims to the period before the outbreak of coronavirus and that there will be no age restrictions. He noted that there has been a decrease of 39 percent in the prices of Hajj services and that 1.4 million pilgrims have benefited from the economic package, adding that competition contributed to enhancing quality and reducing prices.

Al-Rabiah indicated that pilgrims from 58 countries from Europe, the Americas and Australia were allowed to apply online through a unified platform in seven languages, in addition to the possibility of choosing the appropriate package with the advantage of lower prices.

The minister pointed to a decrease in comprehensive insurance costs from SR235 to SR88, without changing the existing service and coverage. He stressed that the developments that took place in facilitating the arrival of pilgrims included an increase in the number of pilgrims by 30 percent from the highest number previously achieved, provided that it will increase further in the coming years, in addition to extending the Umrah visa from 30 to 90 days earlier.

He indicated that this year’s Hajj comes after the cessation of Hajj in its natural form for three years, in addition to the existence of virtual experiences for Hajj for the first time to ensure work efficiency, especially since there are about two million pilgrims for this year.

Al-Rabiah said that the Kingdom has spent hundreds of billions of riyals to serve the guests of God. “We have prepared a clear and coordinated plan to organize the process of dispatching pilgrims with Hajj companies to ensure the safety of movement between the holy sites,” he added.

© Copyright 2022 The Saudi Gazette. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).