Inspection campaigns led to the closure of many illegal entities promoting fake Hajj and Umrah programs
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced its ongoing preparations for the 1447 AH-2026 tourism Hajj season, implementing the directives of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy to take all the necessary organizational measures to ensure the best level of services for tourism pilgrims and provide them with the utmost comfort and safety at every stage of the pilgrimage, contributing to a successful Hajj season.
For her part, Samia Samy, Assistant Minister for Travel Company Affairs and Head of the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah, explained that the ministry is continuing its efforts in light of the advance preparation system applied by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah this season, as one of the main pillars of managing the Hajj season.
She stressed that travel companies organizing tourism Hajj trips must enter full pilgrim data, foremost among it accommodation details and outbound and return flight times, on the Saudi electronic track "Nusuk Masar", with the utmost accuracy and within the set deadlines.
She added that completing this data correctly directly helps speed up procedures at points of arrival, as well as supporting more efficient and flexible service delivery, especially with the "Hajj Without Luggage" service offered by Saudi Arabia, which allows pilgrims to ship their luggage directly to their accommodation in Makkah or Madinah according to each flight's arrival destination, sparing them the burden of carrying bags or waiting to collect them at points of arrival, in addition to the system's role in achieving smoother movement and reducing crowding at airports on both arrival and departure.
She noted the importance of tourism pilgrims adhering to the specified baggage weight according to the regulations approved by airlines, helping to ease travel and movement procedures and avoid any obstacles or additional fees, ensuring pilgrims' comfort and smooth movement at airports.
She stressed that any inaccuracy in the data or delay in completing it will expose the violating company to legal and administrative measures, which may include being barred from organizing Hajj in future seasons or not being approved as a lead company, while bearing full legal responsibility for any harm that may befall pilgrims as a result.
The Assistant Minister also praised the pivotal role of the Executive Body of the Ministerial Hajj Committee, headed by Major General Ahmed Eida, Assistant Minister of Interior for Administrative Affairs, in removing obstacles and following executive details step by step, and commended the level of cooperation with the Egyptian Tourism Federation and the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies, supporting the success of the tourism Hajj system this season.
In a related context, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with the Tourism and Antiquities Police, carried out extensive inspection campaigns during the past period that led to the closure of many illegal entities promoting fake Hajj and Umrah programs, as part of the Egyptian state's efforts to confront all forms of fraud against citizens.
In this context, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities urged citizens not to be misled by deceptive advertisements or fake entities promoting Hajj programs outside the official framework, stressing that violating the regulations governing Hajj exposes those involved to severe financial and legal penalties from the Saudi authorities, including deportation and a 10-year ban on entering the Kingdom, as well as large fines.
