Makkah – (IINA) January 14, 2008 – The Ministry of Haj has adopted a package of tough measures to regulate the performance of the Umrah companies in the next pilgrimage season, which starts in February. The first batch of foreign Umrah pilgrims is expected to arrive towards the end of March. The ministry expects about three million foreign pilgrims to arrive in the Kingdom for Umrah this year.
Under the new measures, any Umrah pilgrim who does not leave the Kingdom on the set date in their passport will not be granted an entry visa again – even an Umrah visa. This measure covers those who have overstayed in the Kingdom for the past two years. The measures also make it mandatory for countries to stay within their quota of Umrah pilgrims, as determined by the ministry and scheduled for pilgrimage at different times during the year so as to avert crowding during the Hijri months of Shaban and Ramadan, when Umrah pilgrimage peaks.
The ministry said the study, conducted by Umrah service authorities, showed that more than one million Umrah pilgrims arrive in Shaaban and Ramadan, far exceeding the service capacities of local Umrah companies. The new rules also stipulate that the letter of credit opened by a foreign Umrah-service agency in its country must be endorsed by a Saudi bank. Additionally, foreign travel agencies dealing in Umrah, should be IATA members. According to the Passport Department, at least 150,000 Umrah pilgrims have overstayed in the Kingdom during the 2007 Umrah season.
HA/IINA
14 Jan 2008