Registration for domestic pilgrims to perform Haj will start on Shawwal 15 (July 20), Makkah Arabic daily reported on Tuesday. Citizens and residents intending to perform Haj this year can easily access the specific e-portal of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah to choose local Haj companies, said the ministry's undersecretary Hussain Al-Sharif. The e-portal gives complete details of Haj operators, their locations in Makkah and the Holy Sites and the services they provide. According to the undersecretary, the charges of local Haj companies range between SR3,000 and SR11,890. For online Haj booking, intending domestic pilgrims should visit the e-portal at http://localhaj.haj.gov.sa Options for Normal Fare, Low Fare and Muyassur including its detailed packages will appear on the website. Once a package and the city are selected, the visitor to the site will be redirected to a form which will ask the number of male and female pilgrims. Based on the selected city, a list of Haj companies will appear with details like camp code, camp category, distance to Jamarat, transportation arrangement, accommodation and food, etc. Visitors can also check all services and rates in the Haj package by clicking "Details" below every Haj operator. Once a visitor to the site clicks "Book," he will be asked to enter details like mobile number, email, name, nationality, iqama details, gender and date of birth. The package can be booked by clicking on the "Submit" button. If a visitor to site has not done Haj in the last five years, he will get a text message, asking to deposit the Haj fee in the bank account of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah. Once all the above procedures are completed, a text message will be received containing contract number and date. The contract can be printed by feeding the code in the ministry's portal. Now with the printout of the contract, the intending domestic pilgrim should visit the Haj company with required documents like ID, passport size photographs, vaccination certificate, etc. to collect Haj permit.
