Saudi Arabia suspends 1,800 foreign Umrah travel agencies

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has suspended contracts with 1,800 foreign Umrah travel agencies after determining they failed to meet required performance and service standards, Saudi Gazette reported.

The suspended firms represent a substantial share of the roughly 5,800 agencies operating in the Umrah sector.

The ministry said the decision followed a periodic evaluation that revealed serious deficiencies in the operations of several agencies.

Ministry spokesperson Ghassan Al-Nuaimi said the affected agencies have been granted a 10-day period to correct the identified shortcomings. The suspension currently applies only to the issuance of new Umrah visas, he added.

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Agencies that comply with the ministry’s standards within the given timeframe will have their contracts reinstated, Al-Nuaimi said.

The ministry said the decision will not impact pilgrims who have already obtained visas or made prior bookings, and that services will continue as scheduled.

Al-Nuaimi said the ministry would continue to enhance its monitoring and evaluation systems to safeguard pilgrims’ rights and strengthen confidence in the Umrah sector.

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He warned that agencies that failed to address deficiencies by the deadline would face further punitive measures.