Egypt Daily News – The Egyptian Tourism Companies Chamber has warned its citizens about fraudulent Hajj trips promoted by unauthorized companies, following last year’s crisis and the deaths of hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims who did not travel with the official mission.
The chamber issued several guidelines to raise awareness among those planning to perform Hajj, emphasizing the importance of following official channels. They noted that Hajj through legal means ensures protection, care, and services from the state, including round-the-clock healthcare and organized transportation.
The chamber stressed that those who consider performing Hajj with a tourist visa or any other visa, rather than a Hajj-specific visa, will not be allowed entry into Mecca or the holy sites during Hajj. It warned that individuals attempting to enter Saudi Arabia with an Umrah, tourist, or visit visa for the purpose of Hajj will be immediately deported and banned from entering the kingdom for several years.
It clarified that Hajj must be performed with a specific visa issued through an official channel, whether it is through the Ministry of Interior’s organized Hajj quota, the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s group Hajj program, or the Ministry of Tourism’s oversight of tourist Hajj.
The chamber urged citizens to only deal with accredited travel companies to ensure proper procedures are followed, adding that those who are unable to perform Hajj this year should wait for their chance next year.
The Saudi Ministry of Interior has confirmed that anyone attempting to perform Hajj without authorization will face a fine of up to 20,000 riyals. In addition, violators, including residents overstaying or attempting to perform Hajj without the necessary permits, will be deported and banned from entering the kingdom for up to 10 years.
The Saudi authorities also launched a unified digital “Permit Platform” to issue and regulate Hajj permits, facilitating pilgrims’ access to Mecca and the holy sites through technical integration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah via the “Nusk” platform.
During last year’s Hajj season, hundreds of Egyptian pilgrims who were traveling without official approval died due to extreme heat and lack of services from the travel companies that sponsored them, or because they traveled individually outside the official mission.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly has directed immediate action against the companies or entities involved in facilitating these unofficial trips, with measures in place to prevent such incidents from recurring.
In a statement last June regarding the crisis, the Egyptian authorities noted that the high death toll among unregistered Egyptian pilgrims was caused by some travel companies organizing Hajj programs under personal visit visas.
These visas prevent holders from entering Mecca, and they resorted to sneaking through desert paths on foot, with no proper accommodation provided at other holy sites, leading to exhaustion due to the high temperatures.
Since then, Egyptian authorities have launched an extensive campaign against fraudulent Hajj companies and those organizing unauthorized trips, with several individuals referred for prosecution.
