RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has said it will evaluate the performance level of Umrah companies and establishments on a quarterly basis according to multiple criteria.
The ministry has stated that achieving the minimum quarterly target according to the classification category for each company would be the benchmark.
The announcement comes as the kingdom gears up to welcome Umrah pilgrims from July 19th, following the closure of the Hajj operation which was deemed successful by many.
The ministry has said as per the criteria, the rate of Umrah pilgrims’ satisfaction with the services provided to them as well as the Umrah companies’ compliance with controls and instructions must not be less than 90%, provided that at the end of each quarter, the level of performance of companies and establishments should be evaluated.
This is in addition to upgrading or downgrading their classification according to what is actually achieved from the targeted numbers of Umrah pilgrims, Saudi Gazette reported.
The ministry has clarified that at the end of the Umrah season, the level of performance of the companies will be evaluated based on the numbers actually achieved throughout the season on a cumulative basis, which through, the classification level due for each company and establishment will be determined in the upcoming Umrah season.
The Ministry also elaborated that the targets and evaluation rates can be modified according to what the authorities deem appropriate.
The Ministry has also stressed the companies the importance of abiding by the timeline for the arrival of pilgrims, and also to conduct the services packages agreed upon in the contract related to residency place, transportation, catering and food services in Makkah and Madinah.
The Suadi leaders are being praised for making full arrangements to ensure that no untoward incident happens despite the fact that over 2 million pilgrims arrived in the holy land this year for Hajj.
This was the first time Saudi Arabia welcomed pilgrims in large numbers i.e around 2m after the pandemic restrictions were lifted. Around one million people joined the 2022 Hajj season and only those in the age bracket 18 to 65 who were fully vaccinated or immunized against the virus and did not suffer from chronic diseases were allowed to visit the kingdom.
Following the Hajj season, the kingdom is gearing up to prepare for the Umrah season which will formally begin from July 19th and the government has announced the procedure for getting the permits in this regard.
