Makkah News and Updates

Sunday 9 June 2013

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 Madinah during Ramadan. “Naturally, everyone who visits Saudi Arabia for religious pilgrimage would want to stay in Makkah and Madinah 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.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454469

9 June 2013 - 30 Rajab 1434 H

TAIF — A pilot project is under way to determine if installing mesh fencing at the entrances of Makkah, along with advanced heat-sensing camera and fingerprinting systems will help control infiltrators into Makkah.

Taif police chief, Maj. Col. Musallam Al-Rehaili, said Al-Sail Al-Kabeer area will witness the first of these systems.

He said a committee of road security forces, the Ministry of Roads and the police will hold its last meeting on Saturday to approve the project, which consists of a five-kilometer mesh fence northwards and southwards of Al-Sail Miqat.

Construction of the fence has already begun and it will include monitoring towers, lighting and fingerprinting and heat-sensing cameras.

Deputy Minister of Haj, Dr. Hatem Qadi, said Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region and head of the Central Haj Committee, has stressed the importance of Haj permits.

Al-Qadi said he is unaware of the details of the fingerprinting system but added that an intense awareness program on the penalties for not adhering to regulations of Haj permits will commence shortly.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130609169123

 

Kaaba to be washed tomorrow

on Monday 10 June / 1st Shaban

9 June 2013 - 30 Rajab 1434 H

RIYADH — The Haj Preparatory Committees (HPCs) at the Ministry of Health have approved a self-managed year-round healthcare program for Umrah pilgrims.

The approval was made at the latest HPCs meeting chaired by the Vice Minister of Health for Planning and Development and the Chairman of HPCs, Dr. Mohammed Khushaim.

HPCs are composed of directors general of the Ministry of Health and their mandates are related to healthcare services needed during the pilgrimage season.

Services will be provided at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah’s Prince Mohmmed Bin Abdulaziz Airport, and the Taif airport as well as at all land points of entry.

Dr. Husein Al-Ghannam, the Director General of Haj and Umrah Health Services and a committee head, told Saudi Gazette the program will be in place as soon as its budget is approved by the Ministry of Finance. “It will further enhance the healthcare services already provided by the ministry and will give the ministry more flexibility in preparing for Umrah healthcare needs and recruiting administrative and healthcare personnel. “It will help in easing the pressure on healthcare facilities and allow for the mobilization of healthcare personnel to serve during the Umrah season,” he added.

HPCs also evaluated the overall healthcare services’ provision plan for this year’s Haj season and the readiness of both Makkah and Madinah regions. It was decided to make additional manpower available in healthcare facilities in Makkah and Madinah for the upcoming Ramadan season.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced temporary job openings for this year’s Haj season. The adviser to the Minister of Health and head of the manpower committee, Saud Al-Raffeeah, said the temporary jobs are available to qualified Saudis and expatriates.

“While these jobs are mostly available in medical specialities for consultants, specialists and residents, there are also jobs for paramedics, nurses and other medical support staff,” he said.

Interested professionals can apply online by going to the link: http://www.moh.gov.sa/eservices/hajj.../manpower.aspx.

The Ministry of Health, as part of its annual readiness to provide healthcare services to pilgrims, mobilizes over 20,000 personnel, of which over 80 percent are healthcare workers while the remainder are administrators. They serve in the ministry’s 21 hospitals and 154 primary healthcare centers in Makkah, Madinah, Arafat and Mina.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130609169127

11 June 2013 - 02 Shaban 1434 H

JEDDAH — The recent decision to reduce the number of Umrah visas has affected the religious tourism market badly, said agencies operating outside the Kingdom.

However, industry experts still believe that targeting local pilgrims can help hotels and businesses that have been hit by the Ministry of Haj’s decision.

Mustafa Jamal, a partner at an Egyptian Haj and Umrah business, told Saudi Gazette that they have booked four hotels in Makkah’s Al-Aziziyah District and have paid a primary deposit to these hotels ranging from SR100,000 to SR150,000 each.

He said: “We normally provide our service to 5,000 to 6,000 pilgrims.
“However, the sudden drop in Umrah pilgrims forced us to revise down our expected number of clients to only 1,000.”

Their company canceled its bookings at three hotels, costing them SR300,000 because the deposits were non-refundable.

Abdul Ghani Al-Ansari, head of the tourism committee at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that there would be no losses for hotel owners if they concentrated on local pilgrims.

Local demand can cover any losses resulting from the decrease of pilgrims coming from abroad, said Al-Ansari.

He said: “We used to welcome only 3 million pilgrims from outside the country until two years ago, when the Ministry of Haj was more generous with the private sector by increasing the number of visas to 6 million.
“The sudden decrease is what has shocked the private sector.”

Al-Ansari said the committee would be having a meeting to discuss the new decision to decrease the number of visas.

He said: “Our only issue with the Ministry of Haj is that they should engage with us when they are making decisions.

“The expansions of the Holy Mosques were not sudden projects.
“Rather, they were scheduled earlier and, therefore, in the same manner we should have been notified earlier.”

Meanwhile, the national committee for Haj and Umrah estimates that investors would suffer SR5 billion worth of losses due to this decision.
The Ministry of Haj also said that each pilgrim could stay in the Kingdom for only 15 days instead of 30, as was previously the case.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130611169447 11 June 2013 - 02 Shaban 1434 H

JEDDAH – Directives have been issued to reduce the number of external pilgrims by 20 percent and those from within the Kingdom by 50 percent starting this Haj season.

According to informed sources, the departments are currently working out modalities for the implementation of the directives.

The sources said the reduction in the number of local and foreign pilgrims was necessitated by the giant development projects currently being undertaken in the Grand Mosque and the Holy Sites.

They said these projects were aimed at enabling the pilgrims and visitors to complete their Haj and Umrah rites in ease.

Haj Minister Dr. Bandar Al-Hajjar denied that the number of visas granted to Umrah companies were reduced this year but said the number has been distributed to cover the whole year.

“The companies should use the visas granted to them on time and should not hold them to be used in one month,” he said. The minister said that under the new arrangements the visas will be granted on a monthly basis so the companies should use them the same month. “If the visas are not used during the same month, they will be canceled,” he warned.

The minister said he has noted that Umrah companies kept the visas granted to them for the months of Rajab and Sha’aban for use in the month of Ramadan. “This practice will disrupt the ministry’s plans and the system of visa issuance which is tied to the provision of accommodation, transportation and other services,” he said.

A number of hotels and Umrah companies have complained that the new arrangements will not enable them to make long-range plans because they will be obliged to use the visas for the same month.

They said the arrangements will not satisfy their needs or help them make early contracts. “We will not be able to make our programs for the season if we are not able to know earlier the number of visas that will be granted,” they said.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130611169433

11 June 2013 - 02 Shaban 1434 H

Madinah – Prince Faisal Bin Salman, Emir of Madinah region and Chairman of Madinah Development Authority, announced on Monday the establishment of a city for receiving and dispatching pilgrims.

The city will be located on an area of more than 1.6 million square meters close to the Prophet’s Mosque. It will have a transport station, train, 400-bed hospital, hotels and shelters accommodating up to 200,000 pilgrims, the announcement said.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20130611169432

Monday 10 June 2013

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 Madinah. "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.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454583

Tuesday 11 June 2013

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.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454681

Tuesday 11 June 2013

The Haj Ministry is currently planning to considerably reduce the number of foreign and domestic Haj pilgrims this season, a reliable source has said.

“Directives have been issued to cut down the number of foreign and domestic pilgrims by 20 and 50 percent respectively,” a local daily reported quoting an informed source.

A technical committee is currently working on the modalities of implementing the directive, which seeks to reduce crowding to cope with the space limitation caused by the ongoing developmental projects at the Grand Mosque and the holy sites, the source said.

Meanwhile, Haj Minister Bandar Hajjar dismissed reports of reducing the number of visas being issued for Umrah as unfounded.

“The number of visas issued to Umrah service companies has not been reduced as rumored lately. However, the visas are being issued on a monthly basis. This system makes it obligatory for the companies to utilize the visas in the specified month the visas were issued,” Hajjar said.

If a visa is not used in the month it was issued it becomes invalid.

Umrah firms hold back the visas issued for Rajab and Shaaban to be used in Ramadan. The result is a huge number of pilgrims arriving in a single month and thereby disrupting the ministry’s plans, he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454688

Tuesday 11 June 2013

A state-of-the-art pilgrim city will be established in Madinah on an area of 1.6 million square meters along Hijrah Road with modern facilities and public transport systems to house 200,000 faithful who come for Haj and Umrah.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has instructed the Finance Ministry to implement the project,” said Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman, adding that it would boost pilgrim services in the city.

State-owned Public Investment Fund will finance the project, which is located close to the Prophet’s Mosque, he said. It includes a railway and bus station, offices of government agencies and a 400-bed hospital.

A number of hotels and furnished apartments will be constructed as part of the world-class city to accommodate 200,000 pilgrims, said Prince Faisal while thanking King Abdullah for approving the vital project.

Saudis and expatriates have applauded the project, saying it opens a new era in pilgrim services. “This is a brilliant project,” said Mohammed Badahdah, assistant secretary-general of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth. He urged authorities to make special arrangements at the new city for Islamic education of pilgrims.

Speaking to Arab News, he said: “Such a city was required as the buildings surrounding the Prophet’s Mosque will not be able to house the growing number of pilgrims.” He said he hoped there would be a transport system to commute pilgrims between the city and the holy mosque.

Badahdah said rooms in the city should be made available at affordable prices. He said five-star hotels in Makkah and Madinah should not charge pilgrims high prices as they do not provide them with same services of their counterparts in other places.

Abdulelah Saaty, dean of the College of Business in Rabigh, said the project reflected the government’s desire to improve services being rendered to the guests of God. “It goes well with the ongoing expansion projects for the two holy mosques,” he told Arab News. “Madinah needs such a project due to increasing number of pilgrims,” he said while stressing the need to carry out the project based on international standards.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/454691