No limit on umrah pilgrims in new season: Saudi official

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Abdul Fattah Mashat, revealed that there is no specific limit on the number of umrah (the minor hajj) pilgrims in the new season of the Hijri new year, as long as it does not conflict with the requirements of the relevant authorities and prudential regulations and procedures.

He said this at a meeting of the National Committee for the Organization of Hajj, Umrah and Visits on Monday (Aug. 2) at the ministry’s headquarters, according to the Saudi Gazette.

Mashat said that the concerned authorities have been directed to extend the necessary support to the licensed companies and are awaiting a response.

“Also work is underway to exclude those umrah service companies from extending umrah services following the imposition of fines over them for various violations,” he said.

The deputy minister approved the committee’s request to activate the requirements of zakat, income and social insurance for licensees who did not complete the activation requirements related to zakat, income and social insurance certificates.

The activation will be in the system provided that a pledge is made with regard to the fulfillment of the requirements within a maximum period of 60 days and the foreign agents can submit a request to retrieve the frozen amounts held in the agents’ portfolios in their bank accounts and cannot be transferred to another portfolio.

Reporting by Indonesia Window