Ghoulamallah to Echorouk: “Government will support the cost of pilgrimage”

A meeting with members of the government will take place on April to discuss details of the meetings that are emanating from a meeting of Saudi authorities, Bou Abdellah Ghoulamallah, Minister of Religious Affairs told Echorouk in an exclusive statement.

Ghoulamallah added on the sidelines of the celebration of International Women’s  Day in Aurassi Hotel on Friday, that the government will determine the forthcoming budget to support the cost of pilgrimage, as it estimated the last season to 220.000 dinars for each pilgrim, and to determine the final cost of pilgrimage for this season.

The minister explained that the cost would be high this year because of the expensive cost of rental buildings that will be far from the Grand Mosque in Mecca after the expansion works.

For his part, Sheikh Barbara, Director-General of the National Office for the Hajj and Umrah, said the meeting that was held recently in holy sites, reach a higher cost by 30% in the cost of the pilgrimage from the previous year – the equivalent of a simple calculation of 50.000 dinars, which means that the total cost will be 370.000 dinars.

Barbara asserted on Sunday, in a phone contact with Echorouk, that the high prices for renting building this year is conducted dramatically and unevenly among brokers, owners and investors, at a time the mission has chosen to deal with investors and owners directly, as buildings in three areas have been rented, the first is located close to the expansion,and the second in the “central”, and the third was at the level of the “jinn valve” near Mena, where 3000 beds have been rented, and the prices were also varying between 6500 to 7200 SR.

“It was agreed to lease new buses for the Algerian pilgrims, as the office will ensure the transfer of all pilgrims without exception, as the mission has submitted a proposal to exploit the buses during the performance of the mashair, waiting for the response of the Saudi authorities”.

On a related matter, travel agencies that have agreement for the current Hajj season,posed the problem of transferring their funds, after depositing costs has become at the level of the current account of the agency, as an owner of an agency told Echorouk that the problem lies in the lack of identifying the legal form to deal with the central bank, which takes care of transferring the money to the Saudi dealer, and the maximum approved for this, with the presence of VIP pilgrims, who are asking for quality services.

Regarding the fraud that occurred the previous season in the granting of health licenses of the pilgrims, Barbara announced on deterrent procedures that will be taken by the Ministry of Health, by adopting strict committees that will be in charge of the cost licensing, and will prevent patients with chronic diseases, and pregnant women to visit the holy sites.