A Haj seminar held at the premises of Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper here dealt with some of the obstacles Saudi Tawafa offices are now facing. The licenses of several mutawifs have also not been renewed as per laws. The mutawifs have called upon the Ministry of Haj to interfere and resolve the situation. They say they have incurred huge losses and some have allegedly gone broke because they have been denied the right to the mutawif profession despite being born into a mutawif family. The participants in the seminar said some Tawafah establishments commit grave violations and rent spots at ritual sites to owners of field offices through a public auction held every four years. They also said the selling price sometimes reaches SR30 million despite the fact that these spots or pieces of land that were given for free by the country. Zuhair Hussain, a mutawif, said some Haj establishments hold public auction and rent prime areas of land in Mina and Arafat for millions of riyals. Sometimes the revenue of the auction reaches SR100 million, he added. “These establishments get these lands free of charge from the government and they shouldn't sell them as it is against the law.” Ameen Saiful Deen, another mutawif who participated in the seminar, said these auctions burdened pilgrims with more costs. Tariq Husni said Tawafah establishments sell these lands to 100 Tawafah offices. The closer the land is to the ritual sites, the higher the money it will fetch. The whole thing has become a show of business. He added that the prices of services are exaggerated and a mechanism for unifying prices should be adopted by all Tawafah establishments. Husni said amendments to election regulations for Tawafah establishments now allow members of the board of directors to stay in their posts even after passing the age of 65. He said these amendments must be reconsidered.
