Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah states that domestic pilgrims will receive compensation in cases where Hajj service providers fail to meet accommodation standards during the upcoming Hajj of 2024.
According to the ministry's guidelines, if a pilgrim faces a delay of more than two hours in receiving accommodation upon arrival in Makkah and other holy sites, they will be compensated with 10% of the value of their package. The compensation may increase to a maximum of 15% in case of repeated violations.
In instances where accommodation is not provided, the housing will be facilitated by the Ministry at the expense of the service provider company involved. The pilgrims would be compensated with 5% of the package value if the accommodation provided does not meet the contractual terms.
The compensation scheme extends to delays in tent services at the Holy Sites. Pilgrims experiencing delays of over two hours in tent accommodation will be compensated with 2 percent of the package value, with a minimum of SR300.
If the accommodation is not provided as per the contract terms, the pilgrim can file a complaint. The complainant will receive 10% of the package value, with a minimum of SR1,500, as compensation after the complaint is verified.
The Ministry emphasized that the maximum time for rectifying these violations should not exceed two hours.
Last week, Saudi Arabia opened e-registration for citizens and foreign Muslims residing in the kingdom for the upcoming Hajj. The Ministry introduced four Hajj packages with prices ranging from SR4,099 to SR13,265, payable in three installments.
With 1.8 million pilgrims performing Hajj last year, the kingdom aims to ensure pilgrim satisfaction and adherence to accommodation standards, reaffirming its commitment to facilitating the sacred journey for Muslims worldwide.