Sheikh Barbera:”No reduction in the quota of Algerian pilgrims, only 15 days for Ramadan Umrah”

Saudi authorities rejected the decision to reduce the quota of Algerian pilgrims from the visas of Ramadan umrah 2013, and replaced the procedure with reducing the days to 15 for each pilgrim, as travel agencies in charge of organising the Umrah season, should pay the financial owed fines on each pilgrim belonging to them , if the period of umrah exceeds 15 days.

Sheikh Barbera, General Manager of the National Office of Hajj and Umrah, said that there would be no reduction of the Algerian quota of umrah visas during the holy Ramadan, adding that the latest news that reached him from the general consul in Jedda quoted the Saudi authorities as saying that a decision was taken to enable all citizens wishing to perform umrah through distributing the days of Ramadan on pilgrims and give each pilgrim a period of 15 days as a maximum.

Barbera asserted in a phone conversation with Echorouk that in case of exceeding this period the travel agencies which organise the trips will be subject to fined on each pilgrim who will be late to return back homeland.

“Coordination between travel agencies and Saudi dealers and Algerian and Saudi airlines is the best solution to avoid any punishment, calling upon the agencies to organise things with pilgrims and dealers, and airline companies about fixing the dates of flights to avoid any delay”.