Latest news from Saudi Arabia

World-class pilgrim city in Makkah soon

A full-fledged pilgrim city with state-of-the-art facilities will be set up in Makkah, similar to the one planned for Madinahh, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to extend world-class services to the millions of pilgrims who come for Haj and Umrah from around the world.
Haj Minister Bandar Hajar has presented a proposal to Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for establishing a massive city in Makkah to receive and see off pilgrims.
The city will have offices for all foreign Haj missions in addition to various services required by pilgrims.
It will also have housing units, offices of Umrah companies, museums, exhibition centers and heritage markets. A committee comprising representatives of government departments has been set up to study all aspects of the project.
The ministry is currently looking for a suitable place for the project, said Hajar.
The final plan will be presented to the governor after the completion of studies, he said. The government recently unveiled plans to establish a pilgrim city in Madinahh on an area of 1.6 million square meters along Hijrah Road with modern facilities and public transport systems to house 200,000 people.
Mohammed Shaker Dahlawi, a consultant engineer with Saudi Railway Co., said the new pilgrim city with world-class facilities would bring about remarkable improvement in pilgrim services.
The project is significant as the number of pilgrims coming to Makkah snowballs year after year.
“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah wants to extend superior services to the guests of God by carrying out giant projects such as the haram expansion and Haramain Railway,” Dahlawi told Arab News.
Abdul Rahman Yousuf, a Saudi businessman, also welcomed the project saying it would further improve Haj and Umrah services.
He called for an underground railway system to connect the city with the Grand Mosque.

Umrah operators to lose SR5 bn from 14-day visa limit

Hotels, Umrah operators and aviation firms will incur SR 5 billion in losses due to the Haj Ministry’s recent decision to limit the validity of Umrah visas to 14 days, according to the estimates of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah (NCHU).
The ministry has decided to reduce the number of Umrah performers coming from outside the Kingdom during the holy month of Ramadan and allowed 14 days for pilgrims to leave the Kingdom after performing Umrah rituals. The decision was attributed to the expansion project being implemented in the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
“The loss of Umrah firms and institutions will be colossal during the upcoming season as the decision of the Ministry of Haj came late, notably after the Umrah firms had entered into contracts and obligations with Umrah agents outside the Kingdom,” deputy president of NCHU Abdullah Qadi told local media.
Qadi urged high-ranking officials to reconsider the decision in light of the losses to be incurred and said a reduction in the number of foreign Umrah pilgrims is not a solution to the problems posed by the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.
He said it was difficult to assess total losses arising from the decision as it caused wide ranging disturbances in airline bookings, the hotel sector and Umrah operators and other service sectors, such as the transportation sector. He said the new procedure adopted by the Ministry of Haj during the upcoming month of Ramadan is based on grouping Umrah performers into two groups to ensure pilgrims do not exceed the permitted 14 days in the Kingdom. To address the problem, the NCHU has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Haj with suggestions on how to organize Umrah pilgrims, restricting worshippers from entering the circumambulation area (mataf) to ease congestion inside the Grand Mosque and facilitate the completion of Umrah rituals, he said.
The reduction in the number of Umrah pilgrims has also been followed by similar decision regarding the number of Haj pilgrims, as the expansion works for the Grand Mosque is set to take three years, which in turn will aggravate losses for Haj and Umrah service providers.
For his part, Walid Abu-Sabaa, head of the Hotels and Tourism Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), termed the decision issued by the Ministry of Haj as “disastrous” for Umrah and pilgrimage service firms as they have to go back on their commitments made to foreign companies.
In another development, the Housing Committee for Pilgrims in Makkah has said that finding a sufficient number of houses to accommodate pilgrims during the upcoming Haj season will be a difficult task.
“The Pilgrims Accommodation Committee in Makkah requires 2,000 more houses to accommodate 1.6 million pilgrims. The committee has issued licenses for 4,000 houses so far,” Zuhair Haddad, chairman of the committee, said in a statement on Saturday.
Haddad said the committee was trying its best to find suitable houses for pilgrims in sufficient numbers. He attributed the shortage of houses to the razing of a number of buildings to facilitate the expansion works in the Central Zone, developmental projects and construction projects in other parts of Makkah.
He hoped that the remaining 2,000 houses would be provided since Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has extended the deadline for issuing licenses for pilgrim accommodation to Aug. 7.
Haddad said efforts are being made to contact Makkah residents to put up pilgrims in their private homes. In addition, only buildings that meet the Haj Ministry specifications will be issued a license to provide accommodation to pilgrims. House owners willing to sublet must submit applications for licenses before the end of Ramadan.
He asked residents to install safety systems and other necessities before the deadline for the issuance of licenses. He said that the committee had disqualified 30 buildings that failed to fulfill the ministry’s specifications during the last Haj season.
He stressed the need to enforce strict regulations in houses where pilgrims are to be accommodated to ensure the safety and comfort of the guests of God.
He ruled out the possibility of anyone counterfeiting licenses for housing since issuance is linked to the governor’s office, the Ministry of Haj, the mayor’s office and the engineering offices. As such, any tampering with the documents would not go undetected at any one of these offices, he said.

Umrah visa’s validity limited to two weeks

JEDDAH: SIRAJ WAHAB
Sunday 9 June 2013
Last Update 9 June 2013 2:27 am
The Haj Ministry has decided to limit the validity of Umrah visas to only 14 days because of the ongoing work to expand the mataf — the cicumambulation area.
According to a circular sent to Umrah agencies in the Kingdom and Saudi missions abroad two days ago, the new rule becomes effective Monday.
“Yes, we have received a circular from the Saudi Embassy in New Delhi informing us that Umrah pilgrims will only be given 14-day visas from Shaban 1,” said Mohammad Abdul Razzak, a travel agent in Hyderabad, India.
He said it would come as a shock to hundreds of Indian Muslims who visit Makkah and Madinahh during Ramadan. “Naturally, everyone who visits Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimage would want to stay in Makkah and Madinahh for as long as they can,” he said. “However, we are told by our counterparts that it is very congested out there in Makkah and that the hotels are heavily booked for the coming two months.”
Rahman Azim, who works for an Umrah operator in Jeddah, said the rule is for all nationalities. “There is a good reason for the decision. It will lead to more people performing Umrah because of the constant movement of foreign pilgrims,” he said.
According to Azim, the new step is being described in travel circles as 14-14-14. “Once the Umrah visa is issued, it will remain in the system for 14 days, meaning it should be stamped within 14 days of the issuance,” he said. “Once it is stamped, the person should travel within 14 days, and then once the pilgrim is in the Kingdom, he should leave within 14 days.”
According to local Umrah tour operators, their quotas have also been slashed by 50 percent. “We were given half of what we used to get in the past,” said Nusrat Javed, an employee at a Makkah tour operator. “This has led us to cancel our hotel bookings which we had done in advance in anticipation of a surge in demand.”
Munir Rahman told Arab News from Lahore that he obtained a one-month Umrah visa last week. “But when we applied for an Umrah visa for my mother two days ago, we were told it would be valid only for two weeks,” he said.

Beggars can be choosers ... when Umrah visas are being sold

JEDDAH: IBRAHIM NAFFEE
Monday 10 June 2013
Last Update 10 June 2013 1:56 am
A number of Umrah companies have been accused of selling Umrah visas through their agents who work outside the Kingdom.
Many Umrah performers plan to overstay in the Kingdom after their visas have expired eyeing odd jobs. However, Umrah companies, responsible for the return of all Umrah performers under their care, do not seem to care about Saudi visa laws.
"External agents of Umrah companies sell visas to brokers for SR 800 to SR 1,000 each. Brokers then sell visas to Umrah performers for around SR 25,000 each," said Farooq Al-Khateeb, professor of economy at King Abdulaziz University.
This usually entails a package price, including food, housing and transport to Makkah and Madinahh. "There is no clear system of restrictions for Umrah companies that grant visas," he said. Saad Al-Qurashi, president of the Haj and Umrah Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that agents of Umrah companies should be careful in dealing with people who seek Umrah visas as a means to stay in Saudi Arabia illegally.
“Selling Umrah visa is illegal and the Ministry of Haj will close any Umrah company violating the Umrah visa system,” he added.
“The Ministry of Haj will also cancel bank accounts of Umrah companies that violate the Umrah visa law and refuse to take responsibility for the timely repatriation of Umrah performers,” he said. Many of the Umrah visa overstayers are from Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan, India and some African countries. Some of them prefer to become beggars while others work as barbers or do odd jobs that do not require them to carry iqamas. A Yemeni beggar in Jeddah told Arab News: “I would stay temporarily in the Kingdom to earn some money. I have paid 15,000 Egyptian Pounds (SR 8,400) to get an Umrah visa. I have to earn money to cover my cost of buying the visa. I have spent one year in Jeddah and I hope to continue earning more money for the next six months.” Abdullah Al-Qadi, vice-president of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah, said pilgrims who overstayed their visas, caused the closure of more than 190 Umrah companies. This led to the dismissal of their more than 10,000 Saudi employees.
“In 2012, over 11,000 Umrah performers overstayed their visas, out of the more than 5.6 million Umrah pilgrims who entered the Kingdom since the Umrah season resumed early last year,” Al-Qadi told a local newspaper.

Huge losses cause 284 Umrah service groups to quit market

A Haj and Umrah expert in the Kingdom said that 284 companies had to quit Umrah operations since the implementation of a regulation decree, with an approximate market value of SR 6.8 billion.
“The Umrah service companies that did not adhere to the new regulations suffered huge financial losses and eventually had to leave the market,” deputy chairman of Shaaer Tourism Promotion Company’s Board of Directors Ahmed Bafaqieh said in a statement.
Currently 48 Umrah service companies and establishments are operating in the country, he said.
The implementation of the new executive regulations started in 2000 with the aim to ensure reliable and excellent services to the pilgrims.
Reluctance by certain company owners to seek advice from officials in the Ministry of Haj about the details of the new regulations and to amend their old practices stop have made it hard for them to survive, he said. The ministry officials were always willing to discuss any difficulty faced by companies while implementing the new Umrah regulations, he added.
The successful companies were the ones that improved their operation methods in line with the new regulations. Some companies faced major difficulties regarding one of the regulations, which stipulated that pilgrim operation should end on the 15th of Shawwal (Sept. 2). These companies experience a hard time in finding enough flights and seats availability for more than 1.5 million pilgrims within the duration of 15 days after Ramadan. This problem was resolved when the ministry extended the last day for pilgrim operations till the 30th of Dhul Qaada, giving companies 45 more days.
Bafaqieh said a finger printing system was also implemented as part of the new regulations. “We are also striving to introduce new methods to ensure the safe return of all pilgrims back to their countries before the end of their permitted period of stay,” he added.
These new methods would include depositing a certain amount as a financial guarantee for each pilgrim, especially those coming from countries blamed for overstaying in the Kingdom. The deposit would be returned upon the arrival of pilgrims back to their home countries.
Bafaqieh suggested that over stayers would be punished that would include jail terms and fines. The new regulations include affixing a sticker on the cover of a pilgrim’s passport in Arabic and in the pilgrim’s mother tongue to specify his residential arrangements in Makkah and Madinahh. These details could be read with a barcode reader.
The number of Umrah pilgrims exceeded 6 million this year, 15 percent more than the last year’s 5.1 million, according to reliable statistics.
The Saudi Arabian Airlines will implement a new baggage allowance policy on international routes effective Sept. 1. The new scheme is based on the “piece concept” as opposed to the current “weight concept.”
The airline had informed all travel agents in the Kingdom. In a memo dated July 31, the airline said that the new piece concept has been loaded in all GDSs (Group Decision Support Systems) and it will be automatically reflected on tickets of the passengers.
The specification of each bag would be length 90cm, breadth 75cm and height 43cm. Currently, international travelers are allowed to carry 40 kg irrespective of the number of bags.
“For instance, a passenger could carry three pieces, each weighing 10 kg, or two pieces of 20 kg each, without inviting any surcharge,” said S. Waheed Lateef of Azmeel Travel.
This will no longer be the case starting Sept. 1. According to the memorandum, Saudia has specified that each economy class passenger will be allowed to carry only one piece of 32 kg or less. For the first and business class, the airline will allow two pieces of 32 kg each. “For instance, if an economy class passenger has two pieces of 16 kg each, he or she will have to pay extra money for the second piece,” said Lateef. “This is what is called the piece concept. The second bag will be calculated as extra baggage.” The airline has specified the extra baggage charges in its note to the travel agents. Other airlines are expected to follow suit because the new concept will drastically reduce the aircraft load and increase efficiency.
Holders of Fursan Gold and Silver Cards will be given an additional baggage allowance free of charge.
Guest Class passengers who would like to take an extra bag, will be allowed an additional bag weighing 23 kg with an extra payment of SR 350 for African and Asian destinations and SR 500 to destinations in the United States , while Business Class passengers will be allowed the similar facility with 32kg for the additional bag.
During their return, such additional baggage services will be offered to passengers on payment of $ 100 from the embarkation points to the Kingdom's international airports in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.
Carry-on baggage must not exceed 9 kg in First and Business class and 7kg in Economy class cabins. The baggage size should not exceed that of overhead compartment capacity. It is forbidden to carry compressed and liquid materials in either checked-in baggage or carry-on baggage. Saudia, which joined the 16-member SkyTeam global alliance recently, has started implementing code-share agreements with the alliance’s member airlines, allowing its passengers to select suitable carriers to reach their final destinations.
SkyTeam, which includes Air France, Alitalia, China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Aeroflot, Aeroméxico and Air Europa, offers more than 14,700 flights for nearly 530 million passengers to its 958 destinations in 173 countries.
According to Abdullah Al-Ajhar, vice president for public relations, the new code-share system would give passengers a lot of new options to reach their destinations at competitive rates. “We have set up a working team to enlighten passengers about SkyTeam services.”
Saudia passengers traveling on SkyTeam member airlines would receive special services such as priority boarding, landing, baggage clearance and extra baggage allowance in addition to facilities of special lounges. “They will receive a variety of excellent services, before, during and after the flight, including completion of travel procedures at special counters,” Al-Ajhar said.
Saudia signed the SkyTeam agreement on May 29, becoming the first airline in the Middle East to join the alliance. Khaled Al-Molhem, director general of the airline, signed the deal with SkyTeam Managing Director Michael Wisbrun during a ceremony at King Abdulaziz International Airport.
Friday 14 December 2012
Last Update 14 December 2012 4:32 pm
Jeddah: Minister of Hajj Bandar bin Mohammed Hajjar, vowed readiness of his ministry and all Hajj-related institutions in the Kingdom to provide the most advanced and comfortable services to Umrah (minor Hajj) performers, scheduled to start arriving in the country as of today, the first of Safar 1434 H. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency to mark the occasion, Dr. Hajjar said all Umrah applications have been electronically processed at Saudi embassies and consulates abroad, noting that last year around 5.5 million Umrah performers have come to the Kingdom.

Mataf expansion to double current capacity

A vast expansion project for the mataf, (the circumambulation space around the Kaaba), is currently under way. The new mataf when completed, after three years, will accommodate 130,000 pilgrims in an hour, while the current mataf capacity withstands 52,000 pilgrims.
The Grand Mosque’s Imam and Khatib, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, who is also president of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, said in a recent statement that Haj and Umrah pilgrims will not face any difficulties due to lack of space, after the completion of the expansion work. He also added they would have direct access to the mataf from the outer squares, without crossing the ground floor of the mosque.
The expansion project will preserve the existing area, and will be parallel to it, but at a lower level. “The work has been launched at the eastern side of the mataf, which has a bottleneck problem, as that side is running parallel to the masaa (the running area between Safa and Marwah). The bottle neck problem begins at the middle of the north eastern side and extends to the southern side up to the Al-Safa Gate of the Grand Mosque,” Al-Sudais said in a recent statement.
The expansion work will also put in place an integrated system to make tawaf and running between Safa and Marwah more disabled-friendly, the sheikh said.
“There will be a network of bridges and pedestrian pathways to reduce the crowding in the mosque,” he said. The work will also ensure maximum safety and cleanliness at the mataf and other parts of the mosque, he added. The move, which has been welcomed by senior religious scholars, will considerably reduce the crowding, especially during Haj season, when millions of pilgrims perform the tawaf, every day of Haj and the days preceding and succeeding it.
A major feature of the expansion work includes linking the present mataf with the area outside the Grand Mosque. The area behind the Ottoman structure will be demolished and re-built with one basement, three floors and a roof, all without pillars and all for tawaf only.
Minister of Haj, Bandar Hajjar said the authorities have no plans to restrict the number of pilgrims during the next Umrah season, denying reports that the number of pilgrims would be drastically cut to speed up the expansion work. The expansion work began on Nov. 15, even though preparatory work started much earlier
Ministry of Haj has instructed all Haj and Umrah companies to submit their operational agendas for next year's season within one month. The ministry wanted the companies to identify the nationalities that will be provided services in 2013; spell out the number of agencies they will have outside the Kingdom and the number of Umrah
visas issued during the season. Companies have also been requested to provide details of accommodation and transportation contracts.
The ministry will start issuing visas next month for licensed Umrah companies through the Umrah Companies Affairs Department. The visas will be issued in the light of the department's records of last years. It will also take into account any complaints filed by pilgrims and Umrah visitors against the companies.
The ministry coordinates with the Passport Department before issuing visas to make sure that Umrah visitors brought by the companies did not overstay their visas during the previous season.
The ministry said in a letter sent to companies that the number of Umrah visitors had increased during the past eight months by 18 percent. Last year, 5.5 millions visitors came to the Kingdom for Umrah while the year before 4.1 million visitors came.