150 Pilgrim Service Provider's Licences revoked
As many as 150 out of 200 Haj and Umrah service providing
companies had their licenses revoked due to substandard services and because
they fail to prevent pilgrims from overstaying in the Kingdom after the expiry
of their Haj and Umrah visas, local daily Al-Madina reported on Wednesday
quoting informed sources.
The sources said about 6 million people performed Umrah during
the previous season, of which only 4,000 people overstayed.
Officials of the sector attributed the small number of
overstayers to the experience the sector has accumulated over the years and the
strict controls the government has introduced.
This was revealed during a meeting in Makkah on Tuesday
organized by the National Haj and Umrah Committee of the Makkah Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and attended by about 300 people.
The deputy chairman of the committee, Abdullah Bin Omar Qadi,
said the companies were closed down because they were unable to provide
consummate services to the guests of God and could not prevent their pilgrims
from overstaying.
He said the government has strengthened the basic infrastructure
including the expansion of the two holy mosques, refurbishment of airports,
introduction of public transport systems, consisting of buses, trains and
metros and the provision of enough manpower to receive and see off the
pilgrims.
“The Haj and Umrah companies have no excuse but to provide the
best of services to the guests of God,” he said.
Qadi said the companies have until May 30 to apply for the
extension of their licenses.
He explained that the issuance or the renewal of the license
would require a company to deposit SR2 million in bank guarantee and its
capital to be fully Saudi.
Saudi
Gazzete
150 Pilgrim Service Provider's Licences revoked
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