This year's rise in service charges for local pilgrims from SR3,500 to SR5,500 is reportedly discouraging people planning to make the Haj pilgrimage. “Fees are astronomical,” says Ahmad Al-Ali, who will not be taking his family this year. “The limited income group can simply not afford it.” Saad Al-Shehri and Khaled Al-Matrafi are postponing their trip until next year, by which time they hope Haj expenses will have come down. “The owners of Haj companies have been exploiting the Haj Ministry's decision to have pilgrims obtain permits through them,” they say. “Local pilgrims without permits will be turned back from checkpoints. The decision gives them a free rein to fix the prices they want. The decision may force some people to resort to illicit methods.” Owners of Haj companies defend themselves by pointing out that soaring food and furniture prices have been one factor in increasing service fees, and that the standard of service and proximity of camps to holy sites also affect prices. Ma'z Hashem, a Haj company owner, says he fails to understand the uproar over rates. “I don't know why there is all this uproar. Service charges have increased by 20 percent since last year due to rise in the cost of transportation and other services,” Hashem says. Some luxury camp services cost more than SR70,000, Hashem says. “There are many people willing to pay this in return for the high quality services they get.” Ibrahim Al-Jaberi, the Licenses and Camps Supervisor at the Ministry of Haj, also rejects the validity of complaints. “All these allegations are baseless. The quality of the service and the proximity of the camps to the holy sites govern prices. The fees for a normal category range between SR2,500 and SR5,000. This shows that there are service charges to suit all groups.”
