Umrah firms told to submit work plan

JEDDAH: The Haj Ministry has warned all Haj and Umrah companies against signing any financial contracts related to the next Umrah season until they have adopted the national operational plan.
The directive comes as part of an effort to guarantee the integrity of all contracts signed between the Kingdom and countries for the Haj and Umrah season.
The ministry added that it wants to commence preparations for the next Umrah season early in order to develop high quality services for all religious visitors in line with the operational plans of these companies.
The ministry said that the operational plan of each Haj and Umrah company must include a list of the nationalities involved in their operations, as well as a count of the number of agents involved and the number of visas that are supposed to be issued each month. The companies must then present their plans to the ministry through an automated system. The plans are then accredited by the ministry, from which point the company can then go ahead and arrange housing and transport deals.
This process will be carried out through an electronic system linked to the ministry that is due to start in October, according to Aleqtesadiah.