Ministry of Hajj suspends 1800 travel agencies: grace period to rectify situations
In a decisive move aimed at restructuring the Umrah services market and ensuring the best possible experience for pilgrims, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced the suspension of existing contracts with 1,800 foreign travel agencies operating in the Umrah sector. This decision, which affected a significant portion of the total 5,800 agencies, resulted from periodic monitoring and evaluation processes that revealed clear shortcomings in performance levels and weaknesses in the quality of services provided by these entities.
The ministry has given the suspended agencies a specific timeframe of 10 days to rectify their situations and address the observed issues, stressing that the suspension is currently limited to preventing the issuance of new visas, as a regulatory measure aimed at urging these companies to comply with the precise standards set by the Kingdom.
The context of Vision 2030 and the Guests of God Service Program
This decision cannot be viewed in isolation from the broader context of the major transformations underway in Saudi Arabia as part of Vision 2030, specifically the "Guests of God Service Program." The Kingdom aims to increase its capacity to accommodate 30 million Umrah pilgrims by 2030. To achieve this ambitious goal, relevant authorities are working to develop the digital and regulatory infrastructure, which necessitates a continuous review of service providers to ensure that only the most efficient and compliant with international standards remain.
This measure reflects the Kingdom's commitment to protecting the rights of pilgrims from any practices that might disrupt their spiritual journey, whether related to accommodation, transportation, or catering services. The increasing number of pilgrims necessitates strict oversight to ensure that quantity does not come at the expense of quality.
Expected impact and protection of current pilgrims
This decision is expected to have a positive impact on the religious tourism sector regionally and internationally, as it will prompt travel agencies worldwide to review their operations and improve their services to comply with the new Saudi requirements. This increased competition will ultimately benefit pilgrims, who will have more reliable and safer options.
In an urgent message of reassurance, the Ministry confirmed that pilgrims currently in the Kingdom, or those holding valid visas and confirmed bookings, will not be affected by this decision. Services provided to them will continue according to pre-arranged schedules without any changes, highlighting the Ministry's utmost priority of ensuring service continuity and safeguarding rights.
For his part, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Ghassan Al-Nuaimi, stressed the ministry’s seriousness in implementing the regulations, noting that the expiration of the deadline without correcting the situation will require taking additional regulatory measures, in order to enhance the reliability and transparency of the Umrah system.
