Algeria: pilgrimage to cost 35 million

Performing Islamic pilgrimage hajj this year will cost 35 million centimes compared to 32 million centimes in previous seasons due to high hotel fees in Holy Places in Saudi Arabia, Echorouk has learnt.

Algerian religious affairs minister Bouabdallah Ghoulamallah’s current visit to Saudi Arabia will come up with the announcement of forthcoming hajj costs.

Touristic agencies are afraid that poor people could not perform the fifth pillar of Islam due to the high costs. Ghoulamallah said the State will not continue subsidizing pilgrims as hajj is not an obligation and subsidies cause a considerable budget to the Treasury.

The State allocates about 5,000 DZ for each winning pilgrim in a random draw which will be organized in early March. A total of 47 touristic agencies were chosen to participate in the hajj organization this year. Pilgrimage office postponed announcement of hajj-related new details until the return of Bouabdallah’s delegation from Saudi Arabia.

The agencies showed dissatisfaction about the government’s decision to liberalize hotels booking which the pilgrimage office used to put an upper limit to the fees.

They suggest to liberalize a part of hajj quota which includes rich people who require the best hotel services regardless their fees. That is called touristic hajj.