Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah ended the contracts of 1800 foreign Umrah travel agencies due to bad performance of service and lack of standards.
According to Gulf media reports, these agencies represent a large figure within the number of agencies operating in the Umrah sector, which amount to around 5,800 agencies in the Umrah sector.
In a statement released by the ministry, it was said that the decision was taken as a result of a periodical evaluation, that showed serious limitations in the performance of the various agencies.
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Ghassan Al-Nuaimi, said that the concerned agencies were issued with 10-day grace period to point out and correct the found deficiencies.
He explained that for the time being, the suspension will only be in place for the issuance of new Umrah visas.
The spokesperson further added that agencies that comply with the prescribed standards by the ministry within the prescribed timeframe would get their contracts reinstated.
The ministry assured the people that pilgrims that have obtained their visas before or have existing bookings will not be affected with this decision and the service to them will continue without disruption.
According to Ghassan Al-Nuaimi, the ministry would continue to effectively implement the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the future to ensure and protect the rights of pilgrims, and increase the credibility of the Umrah sector more.
He further said stricter action will be taken against the agencies which fail to resolve their shortcomings in the specified period.
In a separate development the Ministry of Religious Affairs has formally requested all intending Hajj pilgrims to complete their biometric registration for Hajj visa endorsement through the “Saudi Visa Bio” mobile application without delay.
In an official statement released a spokesperson of the ministry emphasised the importance of finalising such obligatory requirements in a timely manner to avoid disrupting the visa issuance process in any way.
The spokesperson went on to explain that in situations where successful registration using biometrics cannot be completed through the mobile application, pilgrims should go to their nearest Saudi Tasheer Centre, no later than February 8.
Also read: Prospective Hajj pilgrims asked to finalise biometrics for Hajj visa
