During his current visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, took part yesterday in the 49th edition of the Grand Hajj Symposium for 1446 AH-2025, organized by the Kingdom's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in cooperation with the Council of Senior Scholars under the title "Capability in Hajj and Contemporary Developments". The symposium was attended by a select group of ministers, eminent scholars and influencers from inside and outside the Kingdom.
The minister's visit came in light of an official invitation from Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the Kingdom's Minister of Hajj and Umrah. Also attending the symposium were Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Tourism Companies Affairs, head of the Egyptian Tourism Hajj Affairs Office and head of the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah, and a number of representatives of the official Egyptian tourism Hajj mission.
Sherif Fathy also held important bilateral meetings with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah and with Fahad bin Abdulrahman Al-Jalajel, the Saudi Minister of Health, at which the Kingdom's preparations to receive Egyptian pilgrims in general, and tourism pilgrims in particular, were discussed. The meetings were attended by Major General Ashraf Abdel Moaty, Assistant Minister of Interior for Administrative Affairs, head of the executive body of the Ministerial Hajj Committee and head of the Egyptian Hajj mission.
During the minister's meeting with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, they discussed ways to develop the Hajj and Umrah system and to enhance integration and joint coordination between the two countries on this vital file, in a way that ensures the comfort of Egyptian pilgrims and Umrah performers and raises the quality of the services provided to them.
The meeting touched on mechanisms for continuous coordination regarding the arrangements for Hajj and Umrah trips, integration in managing emergencies and the immediate exchange of information on any regulatory decisions or developments, with the aim of ensuring a swift response and raising performance efficiency, in addition to working to remove any obstacles that may face the organizational process for the Hajj and Umrah files.
They also discussed the possibility of carrying out joint awareness campaigns for pilgrims and Umrah performers, and following up on joint coordination at all levels to raise their awareness of the rules and procedures to be followed while performing Hajj and Umrah rituals, as well as the importance of adhering to codes of conduct in the holy places, with the need for coordination among government agencies, tourism companies and private sector organizations, even at the individual level, to ensure that awareness messages reach the largest segment of pilgrims and Umrah performers.
They also affirmed the continuation of the measures taken by the relevant authorities in the Kingdom and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to deter all violators of the regulations and requirements for Hajj and Umrah, combat illegal entities, monitor violations and take the necessary legal action against them.
In Sherif Fathy's meeting with the Saudi Minister of Health, they discussed developments in the health procedures for Egyptian pilgrims, especially tourism pilgrims, and the plan that the Saudi Ministry of Health will implement during the performance of the Hajj rituals.
For his part, the Saudi Minister of Health welcomed what was discussed regarding the importance of having a number of doctors from the Egyptian medical mission inside the holy sites, in the areas designated for Egyptian pilgrims in the Mina and Arafat camps, to help treat cases of illness and monitor the health of these pilgrims, with the possibility of setting up simple clinics to provide first aid to pilgrims.
The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities praised the efforts, cooperation and joint coordination provided by the Kingdom to deliver this year's Hajj season in the best possible way, and pointed to the keenness of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to take all necessary measures to ensure an organized and safe Umrah and Hajj experience for all Egyptian Umrah performers and pilgrims, particularly by raising awareness among citizens, as well as among the tourism companies organizing Hajj and Umrah trips, of the need to comply.
