JEDDAH, 3 March 2004 — The Haj Ministry and other government departments have made arrangements to welcome more than two million Umrah pilgrims from some 150 countries this year, Haj Minister Iyad Madani said.

The minister estimated the Kingdom’s economic benefit from Umrah to be around SR8 billion. He added that it also provides jobs to more than 8,000 Saudis.

Hotels in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah account for more than 50 percent of the hotels in the Kingdom. The minister estimated the average expenditure of an Umrah pilgrim at SR1,000.

More than six million pilgrims have performed Umrah during the past three years. “This year an automatic system has been introduced for the payment of the fees of Saudi Umrah companies by the pilgrims before they arrive in the Kingdom,” the minister said. It has also set up centers for information, services and complaints at the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah, King Abdul Aziz Airport, Madinah Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port. If any company fails to provide accommodation to its pilgrims, the ministry will provide the service at the company’s expense, he said.

“The ministry has fixed a minimum package of not less than five days for the pilgrims coming by plane and not less than 10 days for those who come by land and sea,” he added. Madani emphasized his ministry’s efforts to provide the best possible services to Umrah pilgrims. Referring to the electronic Umrah system launched by Crown Prince Abdullah last year linking all related departments, he said it was instrumental in improving the services being provided to pilgrims.

“We are determined to put an end to the practice of overstaying by pilgrims,” he added. “The pilgrims coming from countries notorious for overstayers will have to deposit SR3,000, which will be refunded soon after the end of their journey,” the minister said.

Overseas agents, who have registered an excessive number of overstayers, will have to present a bank guarantee of SR100,000. The ministry has also put a maximum quota of 3,000 pilgrims for each foreign agent.

“A foreign company will be banned from providing Umrah service if the number of overstayers exceed 50 percent of their total pilgrims,” Madani said. “Umrah visas will be canceled if the foreign agents fail to approach Saudi missions within 15 days after the arrival of visas,” he said.

Madani said his ministry has also taken steps to prevent the over-accumulation of Umrah pilgrims in a particular month.

Madani urged Saudi Umrah companies to extend the best possible services to the pilgrims.