LONDON: The Council of British Hajjis welcomed on Saturday Saudi Arabia’s decision to host one million pilgrims for Hajj this year but also urged the public to only book with licensed operators.
Pilgrims should only sign agreements with those who have been approved by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and hold a valid Air Travel Organizer’s License.
“We strongly urge British Muslims intending to perform Hajj this year to book with a UK based licensed Hajj organizer who is directly licensed by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. The organizer should have their own visa quota and pilgrims should get written confirmation that the package they have purchased includes a Hajj visa. In addition, the organizer must have a valid ATOL license and issue pilgrims with an ATOL certificate at the time of booking which will afford them the financial protection in the event the company goes bust,” Rashid Mogradia, the CEO of CBHUK, told Arab News.
“Payment should be made by bank transfer into a business account that is auditable,” to protect pilgrims from Hajj fraud, Mogradia added.
Often, victims arrive in Saudi Arabia to discover the accommodation they booked does not exist. Sometimes, packages worth thousands of pounds are sold to pilgrims by illegitimate travel operators who then disappear without delivering the services they promised.
Mogradia said that it was still too early to book packages for British pilgrims because most Hajj companies will be arranging contracts with the Saudi authorities, so “they would not necessarily have a license to sell until their paperwork is complete.”
“People wishing to perform Hajj this year should ask to see the company’s official license card issued by the Ministry of Hajj,” he added.
Further details would be published by the CBHUK over the next few weeks, Mogradia said.
Yasmin Qureshi MP, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Hajj & Umrah, commended measures being taken by Saudi Arabia to ensure the safety and security of pilgrims during the annual Hajj.
“The Muslim ummah has been eagerly awaiting the announcement for Hajj 2022 by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. This news will no doubt bring joy to Muslims all around the world who have sadly not been able to perform Hajj for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Qureshi said.
