Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced the "Umrah Pilgrims' Rights Document" for the 1447 AH season, which aims to regulate the experience of Umrah pilgrims arriving from abroad and ensure they receive all essential and support services from the moment their visa is issued until they leave the Kingdom, in a step that reflects the continuous development of the Umrah system in line with Vision 2030 targets for the religious travel sector.
Electronic Visa Issuance and Tracking
The document stresses the commitment of all entities operating within the Umrah system to provide their services in accordance with approved regulations and instructions, while facilitating the procedures for issuing the unified visa through the official platform visa.mofa.gov.sa, and making it possible to track the status of applications electronically. Umrah companies are also obliged to inform pilgrims of all necessary instructions and guidelines from the moment they arrive until they depart.
Obligations and Services of Umrah Companies
The document sets out a number of obligations that Umrah companies must fulfill, most notably:
Receiving pilgrims at air, land or sea entry points, and assisting them with entry procedures and transport to the agreed accommodation.
Providing all services included in the Umrah program, including accommodation, transport and ground services, according to the specified standards, quantities and time periods, without charging the pilgrim any additional costs in the event of any shortcomings.
Ensuring services are ready before the pilgrim arrives in the Kingdom, and organizing group trips to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque under the supervision of specialized staff who accompany the groups until they complete their rituals.
Mandatory Health Insurance Covering All Cases
The document grants every Umrah pilgrim comprehensive health insurance valid for 90 days from the date of entry into the Kingdom, which includes:
Health services at all hospitals and centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health.
Insurance against accidents and unexpected disasters.
Coverage of the costs of flight cancellations or delays, in addition to accommodation and subsistence allowances.
Repatriation of the pilgrim's remains in the event of death from any cause, and coverage of treatment and quarantine costs in the event of COVID-19 infection.
The document clarifies that pilgrims have the right to perform Umrah more than once during their stay in the Kingdom, except during the month of Ramadan, when Umrah may be performed only once. Pilgrims may also obtain one permit to pray in Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah within 365 days, subject to the availability of appointments and crowd levels.
Other rights guaranteed by the document include the possibility of requesting private transport services according to available capacity, and receiving assistance in the event of any accidents or health or security emergencies during their stay. It also allows them to submit complaints, comments and suggestions via email at [email protected] or by calling the unified number 00966920002814, available around the clock.
Protection of Legal Rights
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah affirmed that the rights of Umrah pilgrims are protected under the regulations of the Human Rights Commission issued by Council of Ministers Resolution No. 207, stressing their right to resort to the competent security authorities if they face any problems during their stay.
To view the post on the website of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, click here.
