The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has suspended contracts for 1,800 foreign travel agencies due to substandard performance and service quality issues.
The firms affected represent a significant portion of the approximately 5,800 agencies currently operating within the Umrah sector.
In an announcement on Sunday, the Saudi ministry stated that the decision followed a periodic evaluation which highlighted various shortcomings in performance., reports Khaleej Times.
As part of a regulatory effort to improve compliance with approved standards, the ministry has provided the affected agencies with a 10-day grace period to address these deficiencies.
Ministry Spokesperson Ghassan Alnwaimi clarified that the suspension currently applies only to the issuance of new visas.
He emphasised that the regulatory action is intended to help agencies rectify issues, and their contracts will be reactivated once they meet the necessary requirements within the specified deadline.
The ministry further reassured the public that pilgrims with valid visas or existing bookings will not be impacted by this measure. Services for these pilgrims are set to continue without interruption.
According to Alnwaimi, the ministry will continue utilising monitoring and evaluation tools to safeguard the rights of pilgrims and bolster the reliability of the Umrah sector.
He warned that further regulatory measures would be taken against any agency that fails to correct its deficiencies before the grace period expires.
