Samia Samy: the tourism Hajj mission includes 24 field committees to serve pilgrims and follow their conditions at all accommodation and holy sites
Chamber of Tourism Companies: deployment in the Mina and Arafat camps to check all preparations
Awareness seminars for pilgrims inside hotels with leading preachers to help them perform the rituals properly and safely
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that all tourism pilgrims have arrived in the holy lands of Saudi Arabia to perform the 1447 AH-2026 Hajj rituals, totaling 40,713 Egyptian pilgrims, via carefully organized air and land trips to ensure pilgrims' comfort and safety from the moment they left home until they reached their accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
For her part, Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Travel Company Affairs, Head of the Tourism Hajj Mission and Head of the Supreme Committee for Umrah and Hajj, explained that this year's season saw a number of flights carrying more than 35,000 economy and five-star pilgrims, as well as more than 130 tourist buses carrying 5,700 pilgrims via the land route from Nuweiba port to the holy lands, reflecting the diversity of tourism Hajj programs designed to meet citizens' different needs.
She added that the ministry's field committees deployed at every point where tourism pilgrims are present followed pilgrims' arrival around the clock and supervised accommodation according to the approved contracts, while following up on pilgrims' receipt of their Nusuk cards and the arrival of their luggage under the "Hajj Without Luggage" system applied by Saudi Arabia for the first time this season. The committees also dealt immediately with complaints and enquiries through the ministry's committees at pilgrims' accommodation and the Rafiq app, to ensure the highest levels of satisfaction and comfort for pilgrims.
She stressed that continuous coordination with the Saudi side and all relevant authorities is ongoing to ensure the smooth performance of rituals in Mina and Arafat and to provide services that live up to the expectations of Egyptian tourism pilgrims, who represent around 52% of Egypt's total Hajj quota.
Over the past days, the mission's main committee carried out intensive field reviews of the movement plan and inspected the holy sites camps several times, with daily follow-up to make sure transport, logistics and medical services are ready. The mission works under a real-time monitoring system linking field committees with the central operations room to ensure rapid intervention and immediate handling of any developments.
The mission distributed field committees across pilgrims' accommodation in Makkah, with other groups stationed inside the Mina and Arafat camps before pilgrims arrive, to follow up on preparation work and the final handover of the camps and make sure they are fully ready.
The movement of tourism pilgrims begins this afternoon, Monday, according to a precise group movement plan and set timetables, with full commitment to the approved routes to avoid congestion and crowding. Pilgrims will be taken directly to Arafat without spending the night of Tarwiyah in Mina, as has been the practice in Egyptian Hajj plans in recent years, to preserve pilgrims' comfort and ease transport.
Tourism Hajj Mission Committees
Samia Samy noted that the tourism Hajj mission includes 24 field committees working around the clock to serve pilgrims and follow their conditions at all accommodation and holy sites, stressing continued full coordination with travel companies, the relevant Saudi authorities and Al Rajhi company, which is responsible for hosting tourism pilgrims, to ensure the movement plan is implemented easily and smoothly.
She also explained that the central operations room remains in session around the clock in coordination with travel company supervisors and specialized committees to deal immediately with any observations or emergencies during the movement or during the stay at the Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah camps.
Field Monitoring at the Holy Sites
In a related context, the administrative body of the Chamber of Tourism Companies formed a central operations room directly linked to company supervisors and field committees, allowing pilgrims' movement to be followed moment by moment and enabling rapid intervention to solve any field problem. All Chamber members in the tourism Hajj mission are also deployed in the Mina and Arafat camps to check all preparations ahead of receiving the Guests of God among travel companies' pilgrims.
Integrated databases were prepared with the names of pilgrims and company supervisors and their contact numbers, allowing rapid intervention and the resolution of any problems that may arise during the movement or while pilgrims are at the holy sites.
The tourism Hajj mission also continues to implement its comprehensive emergency plan, which includes rapid mechanisms for dealing with emergencies related to transport, accommodation, catering or medical services, with continued field visits to the camps to make sure companies implement the programs agreed with pilgrims and the regulations governing tourism Hajj approved by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The Chamber of Tourism Companies stressed that the season's indicators so far reflect great success in implementing the regulations governing tourism Hajj, especially regarding the quality of accommodation and services provided to pilgrims, with intensive field monitoring continuing until the Hajj rituals end and pilgrims return home.
Religious Awareness Seminars for Pilgrims
On the other hand, travel companies organizing Hajj this year stepped up religious and awareness seminars inside hotels and pilgrims' accommodation in the holy lands, in coordination with the Egyptian tourism Hajj mission, its committees and the Chamber of Tourism Companies.
Hotel halls and pilgrim gathering places hosted daily meetings and specialized awareness programs aimed at explaining the Hajj rituals in a simplified way and making pilgrims aware of organizational procedures at the holy sites, as well as offering health advice and general guidance to help them perform the rituals with ease.
Travel companies are keen to bring in leading preachers specializing in Sharia and the rituals, as well as hosting a number of influential religious public figures, to deliver lectures and answer pilgrims' questions, helping raise their religious and cultural awareness and teaching them how to deal with different situations during the spiritual journey.
These seminars also receive attention and follow-up from the Egyptian tourism Hajj mission, given their important role in helping pilgrims comply with organizational instructions and stay safe at the holy sites.
Travel companies stressed that the awareness aspect is an integral part of the pilgrim service system, not just an activity accompanying the trip, adding that the aim is not only to explain the rituals but also to prepare pilgrims psychologically and spiritually to perform the obligation in an atmosphere of reassurance and tranquility.
The awareness seminars are drawing strong turnout from Egyptian pilgrims, especially the elderly, who are keen to benefit from direct explanations and to interact with preachers and supervisors, helping them perform the rituals correctly and safely.
