To avoid last minute hitches and falling prey to unscrupulous tour operators, Haj pilgrims have been urged to reserve their trips only with accredited Haj operators. It has been confirmed that about 30 licensed Haj operators in Riyadh will close their bookings within a week. According to market sources, the number of accredited Haj operators this year was substantially reduced because the authorities granted licenses to a limited number of companies. Hundreds of pilgrims were stranded in Riyadh last year after Haj operators either closed their offices or failed to get Haj permits from the authorities. A few Haj operators have already displayed signs such as “fully booked” and have stopped taking reservations. “As the time for Haj is fast approaching pilgrims should expedite the processing of papers that help the operators to apply for a Haj permit (tasriyah),” said Farook Hussain, a front desk clerk at a Haj company in Riyadh. He said pilgrims are required to submit a form stamped by their employers, a vaccination certificate for meningitis, the listing of their blood group, copies of their iqama (residence permit) or passport and three passport-sized photographs. A swine flu shot is not mandatory. A pilgrim can receive vaccination shots for free by visiting any primary healthcare center (PHC). The registered polyclinics are charging SR50 to vaccinate pilgrims, including a test to determine blood group. The packaged fee per pilgrim, depending on five different categories, starts from a minimum of SR2,500 to a maximum of SR5,200, which is comparatively lower than the previous year. Last year the round-trip Haj package tour to Makkah, other ritual sites and back to Riyadh ranged between SR3,000 and SR6,000. The facilities offered by the Haj operators included services such as moallim (Haj guide), food, accommodation in Mina and Arafat and transport between the Haj ritual sites. However, in previous years, the package Haj fee was even cheaper. In 2005 and 2006 the Haj operators charged packaged fees that ranged between SR1,800 and SR4,500 per pilgrim. The Haj operators have to provide meals and transportation for the pilgrims at all the ritual sites – Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat. Depending on the package, some operators will take the pilgrims to the Prophet's Mosque after Haj before coming back to Riyadh. The packaged fee varies because of the distance of tents located in Mina and Muzdalifa from the Jamarat, which have been divided into five different categories. Hussain said the authorities are applying strict procedures for issuing Haj permits to the intending pilgrims that avail Haj operators services. “It takes a minimum of three days before a Haj permit is issued from the date of its submission,” he said. According to market sources the number of pilgrims going for Haj this season has dropped by at least 20 percent, due largely to swine flu concerns. Accommodation offered in the first category, where the tents are located close to Jamarat, is the most expensive ranging between SR5,000 and SR6,000 per pilgrim. The package fee ranges between SR3,500 and SR4,800 for the third and fourth categories, depending on the type of tents located on hilly areas or on the terrain in Mina and Muzdalifa. The second category is reserved only for pilgrims coming from outside the Kingdom. Syed Najeebullah, who intends to go in the pilgrimage, said he surveyed the market for the best possible services “but could not find reservations in the first categories, which are all fully booked.” In view of the winter season the pilgrims were advised to carry blankets with them. Usually, it would rain during the winter season in Saudi Arabia when the temperature in the ritual sites might drop substantially. Pilgrims might need to use blankets during the night time when it could be considerably cold in Mina and Muzdalifa.
