Khaberni - The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities issued a statement on Friday evening to clarify the truth about recent reports concerning complaints from a number of Egyptian tourism companies organizing Umrah trips, and the issues raised about the suspension of Umrah trips for Egyptians through the Saudi "Nusuk" platform.
The Ministry confirmed that the reports stemmed from the decision of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to stop electronic dealings with some companies on the "Nusuk" platform, due to their non-compliance with the regulations and requirements governing the implementation of Umrah programs.
In this context, Samia Samy, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Tourism Companies Affairs and head of the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah, last Friday stated that the regulations governing Umrah trips for the season 1447H, approved by Minister Sherif Fathy, emphasize full compliance with the accredited and registered Umrah program data on the official Egyptian and Saudi platforms, considering this the fundamental pillar to ensure the smooth running of trips and the protection of pilgrims' rights.
The Egyptian official confirmed in statements that the regulatory measures taken in this regard are directly linked to how well companies comply with the data matching the actual execution on the ground.
Non-compliance of some companies
Samia Sami pointed out that the Ministry of Tourism's committees present at travel exits to monitor and follow the travel of Egyptian pilgrims, observed some companies' non-compliance with the approved travel schedules listed on the Egyptian Umrah portal, and immediately took the necessary legal actions to preserve citizens' rights and ensure the regularity of the Umrah season.
The assistant minister explained that an official circular was issued on December 11th (December), to all tourism companies, emphasizing the necessity to comply with all the data of Umrah programs listed on the Egyptian portal, with a reminder that any deviation from this data exposes the company to legal accountability according to the regulations.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also issued several circulars via the "Nusuk" platform, affirming the importance of complete data matching between the records on the platform and the actual movements of pilgrims within the kingdom, especially in terms of accommodation data and duration of stay.
She added that these circulars came after observing some companies' non-compliance with the entry and exit dates and accommodation places listed, and despite the Saudi side granting a period for rectifying the situation, the failure of some companies to complete the procedures led to the suspension of electronic dealings with them until their status is rectified.
Implementing any number of trips without a maximum limit
Samia Sami emphasized that the Ministry of Tourism has not prohibited any Umrah trips for authorized companies, explaining that the regulations governing Umrah, prepared in coordination with the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Tourism and the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies, allow the execution of any number of trips without a maximum limit, provided one of the trips currently in the kingdom returns, to organize the season and prevent congestion.
In the context of ensuring that tourism programs continue uninterrupted, coordination was made with the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Companies and Agencies to allow the suspended companies, in collaboration with other companies, to execute the contracted programs during the suspension period, thereby ensuring the continuity of trips and protecting the rights of pilgrims.
