Cooperation between the Ministry of Haj and the Ministry of Interior and the introduction of new technology has seen a massive improvement in services provided for Umrah pilgrims. This has also seen a reduction in the number of people who overstay their visas, squatting, begging and other criminal behavior, according to a senior Ministry of Haj official. In a recent interview with Okaz, Deputy Minister of Haj for Umrah Affairs Dr. Isa Rawwas said that there has been greater government control over Haj and Umrah companies and the services provided for pilgrims. This was also to eliminate security and other organizational problems. He said that regulations have been introduced to create an official authority to follow up services provided to Mu'tamirs (Umrah performers) including housing and transport. It also aims to create a competitive environment between companies so that there is an improvement in the quality of services. One consequence of this is that it has created jobs for Saudis, he said. He said the ministry has established a global electronic network to issue visas. “The network links internal and external government bodies and the Ministry of Haj.” It also contains systems that link the Haj Ministry, the Interior Ministry and Umrah companies. These systems are used to monitor the quality of services. Other systems are for Mu'tamirs and are supervised by the companies, who are in turn supervised by the Ministry of Haj, he said. He said the use of technology has resulted in improvement in all areas. He said that companies have welcomed the changes. This was reflected in the reduced number of violations recorded by the authorities. However, if a company is found to have violated the rules, then action is taken against the company and those affected are compensated for any damage caused.
