Riyadh (TDI): Saudi Arabia has temporarily halted operations of around 1,800 overseas Umrah travel agencies after they were found to be falling short of required service and performance benchmarks.
The action was taken by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah following a routine assessment of agencies involved in Umrah arrangements.
The suspended companies make up a significant portion of the nearly 5,800 Umrah operators currently working worldwide.
Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuaimi said the review uncovered major operational shortcomings in several agencies. As a result, their contracts have been suspended for issuing new Umrah visas, though existing visas and confirmed bookings will remain unaffected.
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Al-Nuaimi clarified that the affected agencies have been given a 10-day window to address the identified issues. Those that successfully meet the ministry’s standards within this period will see their contracts restored.
He emphasized that pilgrims who have already completed travel arrangements will continue to receive services as planned, with no disruption to their Umrah journey.
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The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening oversight mechanisms to protect pilgrims’ rights and ensure service quality across the Umrah sector. Agencies that fail to comply within the given deadline, Al-Nuaimi warned, may face stricter penalties in the future.
