Saudi Ministry Suspends 1,800 Overseas Umrah Travel Agencies Over Poor Service Quality, Compliance Issues
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has temporarily suspended new visa contracting with 1, 800 overseas Umrah travel agencies pending required regulatory corrections. The suspension applies only to new visa issuance, and it is part of a regulatory approach to help agencies address issues and improve compliance with approved standards.
Agencies affected by the suspension have been given a 10-day window to address identified shortcomings. In case they fail to resolve the issues, their agreements can be reactivated, the ministry said.
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The ministry cited shortcomings in performance and service quality for the suspension of contracts after finding deficiencies during the periodic evaluation and performance assessment. Notably, pilgrims with valid visas or existing bookings will not be affected, and services will continue uninterrupted.
The regulatory action will be taken against any agency that fails to correct its deficiencies by the specified deadline, Ministry Spokesperson Ghassan Alnwaimi stated.
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Approximately 5, 800 overseas Umrah travel agencies operate in the market and the evaluation identified the suspended groups. The move, according to the authorities, is aimed at raising service standards and transparency.
