Hajj agencies to be held responsible if pilgrims miss out: Religious Affairs Adviser

Religious Affairs Adviser, Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain, made it clear on Monday, February 10, that if any pilgrim is unable to perform Hajj due to negligence, the Hajj agencies will be held fully accountable. 

He addressed this matter during a briefing about the progress of Hajj arrangements for 2025 at the Secretariat.

Dr. Khalid Hossain explained that the Saudi government has given strict instructions to ensure that agreements are made with all Hajj service providers, such as hotels, transport services, and catering providers in Mina and Arafat, by February 14. 

These agreements are a crucial part of the process, and there will be no further extensions beyond this date. 

So far, out of 70 leading agencies, 38 have made good progress in completing the agreements, but the rest are lagging behind.

He further emphasized that if any pilgrims miss out on the Hajj due to the failure of the agencies, the responsibility will rest with the agencies.

"Neither the Ministry of Religious Affairs nor the Saudi government will take responsibility for any such cases," Dr. Khalid Hossain stated.

In another important update, Dr. Khalid Hossain addressed the issue of Umrah ticket scams. 

He mentioned that, going forward, the government will no longer allow group bookings for tickets. 

Instead, tickets will need to be booked with individual names and passport numbers. 

Tickets must be issued within 7 days, or the airline will cancel them within the following 3 days. To tackle the ongoing issue of the ticket syndicate, the government has formed a 7-member committee, led by the senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

This committee has 15 working days to report its findings.

Dr. Khalid Hossain also provided an update on the number of people registered for Hajj this year. 

A total of 87,100 individuals have registered, with 5,200 opting for the government-managed scheme. 

The total Hajj quota for 2025 is 127,198 pilgrims. 

However, it has been confirmed that children will not be allowed to join the pilgrimage this year, although Saudi authorities have not yet specified the age limit for children.

This news brings a mix of hope and caution for those planning to perform Hajj, while also urging Hajj agencies to ensure smooth operations and to be fully accountable for their services.