The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has enacted very strict new regulations to dissuade the abuse of the annual Hajj pilgrimage for political or sectarian purposes.
According to the ministry, those who intend to come into the Kingdom to disturb the public security or order will be prohibited from doing so.
The recently released draft regulations state that all foreign Hajj offices must comply with certain stipulations and criteria to become an approved Hajj office. These are the Haj offices that take care of Hajjis from their respective countries and they are all under the ministry and must adhere to the ministry’s rules and regulations.
According to the rules all the offices must type in all the pilgrims information into the electronic system before they come, and that the pilgrims cannot have any political material or disruptive behavior.
Offices must also cease using accommodations and transport designated for Hajjis and should not in any way be involved in any commercial or agency business concerning Hajj services.
The ministry has stressed that it will not tolerate the use of Hajj for political or sectarian gain and will come down hard on those who do so. This includes the possibility of the dismissal of office heads or workers involved in wrong doings, and the probability of downsizing the office staff in the upcoming hajj seasons if they do not perform up to par.
Further, the regulations lay out the process for recognizing foreign Hajj agencies, from the standard for filing a certificate request, to qualified desk help, to connection with the ministry’s internet system. The term of daftar runs until next year’s Muharram and the offices are responsible for their hajjis until they get back.
