Committees of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Central Administration for Tour Companies, are continuing their field work in Makkah and Madinah to monitor tour companies' implementation of Umrah programs for the 1448 AH season. The work follows the directives of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy and is part of the ministry's oversight and regulatory role and its keenness to protect the rights of Egyptian Umrah pilgrims and ensure the quality of the services provided to them throughout their stay in Saudi Arabia.
For her part, Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Tour Companies Affairs and head of the Higher Committee for Hajj and Umrah, said the ministry's committees in Saudi Arabia are working around the clock to monitor tour companies' compliance with the approved Umrah programs, record any issues that could affect the level of services, and intervene immediately to resolve any obstacles facing companies or pilgrims. She noted that coordination and cooperation with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the relevant Saudi authorities help speed up action on the ground and provide the best possible care for Egyptian pilgrims.
She also pointed to the commitment shown by the vast majority of tour companies to implementing the agreed programs and providing the services due to pilgrims, noting that the cases of violations of approved programs recorded so far are limited to a small number of companies. The ministry's committees deal with these cases as soon as they are detected, correcting the situation and solving problems promptly to ensure pilgrims receive their rights and the services they contracted for, while taking the prescribed legal measures against violating companies. She stressed that resolving a problem immediately does not exempt the company from accountability for the violation.
In this context, the ministry's committees are carrying out field visits to the hotels where Egyptian pilgrims are staying in Makkah and Madinah to check on them, monitor tour companies' compliance with the approved programs registered on the Egyptian Umrah Portal, and verify that accommodation and service levels match what was contracted with the pilgrims.
During their visits, the committees also make a point of meeting Egyptian pilgrims, listening to them and receiving any comments or complaints about accommodation, transfers or the services included in the program, examining and dealing with them immediately in coordination with tour companies, Saudi agents and the relevant authorities, so that the causes of complaints are quickly removed and pilgrims' rights are protected.
The committees are also introducing pilgrims to the "Rafiq" app, which the ministry launched this season for the first time for pilgrims and tour company supervisors to develop digital monitoring of Umrah trips. They explain how to use the app to confirm departure from Egyptian ports, confirm arrival at accommodation in Makkah and Madinah and the return home, and how to submit comments or reports and follow up on responses. The app is a quick and direct way to communicate with the ministry's committees in Saudi Arabia and the operations room of the Central Administration for Tour Companies in Cairo, allowing swift intervention in any situation that may arise during the trip.
Using the data provided by the app, the committees also monitor each stage of the Umrah trip and verify that accommodation matches the approved program, while the data allows the operations room to track incoming comments and direct them to the relevant committee or tour company for action.
The ministry has also set up two offices in Saudi Arabia to receive Egyptian pilgrims and representatives of Egyptian tour companies and to take comments and complaints: at the Makarem Ajyad Makkah Hotel on Ajyad Street in Makkah, and at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in the Central Southern Area, opposite the Bustan Al-Safiyah Museum, in Madinah.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities urges pilgrims to contact its committees with any questions, or if any problem arises or they have any comments on the services provided, either through the Rafiq app or by visiting the two committees' offices, so that issues can be dealt with promptly. The committees will continue their work throughout the Umrah season to check on pilgrims and ensure their programs run smoothly.
