Saudi authorities advise hopeful pilgrims who have purchased Mecca pilgrimage transactions and packages through various individual travel agencies to request refunds of deposits and payments.
Western expatriates living in Qatar often return to their home countries to join a tour operator before traveling to Saudi Arabia for their annual Mecca pilgrimage.
However, just three weeks before this year’s Mecca pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia applied through the government’s website in a move to effectively eliminate the role of travel agency for western Islamic pilgrims who want to participate in the Mecca pilgrimage. I declared that I had to do it.
This year, hopeful pilgrims and tour operators in the west remain stuck due to lack of clarity from Saudi authorities regarding the number of travel allocations.
But this week, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Pilgrimage to Mecca confirmed that worshipers from “Europe, America, Australia” must apply for their space through the government’s Motawif website.
Selected people are selected through an “automatic lottery” mechanism and can then schedule and pay direct transportation and accommodation costs directly with the Saudi Arabian government.
Riyadh’s move represents a major change in policy, effectively ending decades-old practices of Mecca pilgrimage packages, accommodation, permit registration, booking and payment through accredited travel agencies. ..
Western pilgrims will be offered three different packages: silver, gold and platinum, according to Meccawif, the official website of Mecca Pilgrimage.
Silver starts at $ 5,986 and offers “the basics of a comfortable and convenient Mecca pilgrimage.” Gold is $ 6,296 and platinum is $ 9,768.
Hajj Pilgrimage is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world and is considered a religious requirement for all Muslims who can travel physically and economically.
The latest decision was made after the global Covid-19 pandemic broke global travel plans, including pilgrimages, forcing the Kingdom to temporarily suspend pilgrimages to Mecca.
Authorities have since significantly reduced the number of participants.
This move also occurs when the Kingdom seeks to centralize all travel and tourism businesses by promoting the use of designated websites, internet domains, and digital systems.
Saudi authorities advise hopeful pilgrims who have purchased Mecca pilgrimage transactions and packages through various individual travel agencies to request refunds of deposits and payments that have been heavily worked on during the pandemic. doing.
Hajj package prices have also risen dramatically by at least hundreds of dollars before the Kingdom’s decision.
Western Muslims react
The western Islamic community, influenced by short-term decisions, used social media to express their frustration, many blaming the move.
However, some users quickly pointed out that the lottery system is not new and definitely not unique to Western countries.
