The joint coordination committee between Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah held a coordination meeting between the two ministries at the headquarters of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Jeddah, with the aim of discussing mechanisms to raise and develop the quality of services provided to Egyptian Umrah pilgrims during the current Umrah season and future seasons.
The meeting was chaired on the Egyptian side by Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Travel Companies Affairs and Head of the Higher Committee for Hajj and Umrah, and on the Saudi side by Eng. Abdulmohsen Abdulrahman Al-Salem, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Umrah Affairs, in the presence of a number of Ministry of Hajj and Umrah officials concerned with Umrah affairs. The Egyptian delegation also included Eng. Mohamed Reda, Director General of Religious Tourism, along with a number of members of the technical office of the Assistant Minister for Travel Companies Affairs.
The two sides discussed a number of organizational files related to the Umrah season, including contracting mechanisms between Egyptian travel companies and their Saudi counterparts, as well as ways of strengthening technical integration between the Egyptian Umrah portal and Saudi Arabia's "Nusuk" platform to unify pilgrims' program data, raise the accuracy of information and ease its exchange between the competent authorities in the two countries, strengthening the protection of Egyptian Umrah pilgrims' rights.
During the meeting, Samia Samy reviewed how the Egyptian Umrah portal works and its role in organizing Umrah trips for Egyptian pilgrims, as an integrated platform containing all the data of the pilgrim's program, helping ensure accurate data, ease follow-up by the competent authorities, strengthen the protection of the rights of pilgrims and travel companies and ensure companies' compliance with the approved rules.
She explained that Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities committees are permanently present during the Umrah season in Makkah and Madinah to monitor in the field the performance of Egyptian travel companies organizing Umrah programs and check the level of services provided to pilgrims, in continuous cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, ensuring quick handling of observations and an improved experience for Egyptian pilgrims.
For his part, Eng. Abdulmohsen Abdulrahman Al-Salem, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Umrah Affairs, praised the fruitful cooperation currently taking place between the two ministries, especially after the talks and discussions held between the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah during his recent visit to Egypt, with the Saudi side expressing thanks to the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and his team for the reception and the successful meetings held.
They stressed that reports about Umrah packages or entry visas to the Kingdom being offered individually via the "Nusuk" platform are untrue, noting that the Umrah packages to be offered via the "Nusuk" platform will be organized through Saudi companies in partnership with Egyptian travel companies and in accordance with the rules and procedures in force in the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides agreed on the importance of continued regular coordination and communication to follow up on joint files, helping develop the Umrah system and enhance the experience of Egyptian pilgrims, in light of the distinguished historical relations between the two brotherly countries and peoples.
It is worth noting that this joint coordination committee between the two ministries came in implementation of the recommendations issued by the meetings held between Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Hajj and Umrah, during his recent visit to Egypt.
