The Ministry of Haj has blamed some Umrah companies and their foreign agents for not looking properly after their pilgrims, resulting in delays, overcrowding and procedural problems at the country's airports, ports and border posts. In a statement issued Thursday, the ministry said that any changes to the arrival and departure times of pilgrims are the responsibility of these service companies and their foreign agents. Umrah companies must ensure they have all the necessary data for each of their pilgrims on arrival, including flight numbers, airline, date and time of arrival, nationality, and departure details. Companies must also have signed the necessary transport contracts for their pilgrims, which are documented at the Ministry of Haj and issued by the Ministry of Transport when pilgrims arrive at their destination in the Kingdom. They must also inform the Tas'heel Company about the pilgrims' transport company, bus numbers, drivers' data and provide copies of the operation orders for bus drivers and vehicles. The Tas'heel Company is funded by the government and works closely with the Interior and Haj ministries and all Umrah companies that provide transport and lodging. It has staff at all points of entry and departure. In its statement, the ministry said that it wants to ensure that all Umrah and Haj companies provide top-quality services so that pilgrims enjoy their stay in the Kingdom. These companies must not repeat mistakes made in the past. The ministry said that Umrah companies and their agents must ensure they know when their pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom. They must not depend on officials from the Ministry of Haj for this and other information. The Ministry of Haj has made it compulsory for Umrah companies to provide every pilgrim with a wrist band showing the company name, address and telephone numbers in Makkah and Madina. If Umrah pilgrims arrive and have no information on them, then the monitoring and follow up committees will ensure these pilgrims are given accommodation and possibly referred to other Umrah firms. Umrah firms must also confirm all departure details with the Tas'heel Company, 24 hours before pilgrims leave. Departing Umrah pilgrims must also not be sent to the airport without a representative from their company because this can lead to them losing their tickets, missing their flights and then sleeping in the departure terminals. Umrah pilgrims must be at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah a maximum of six hours ahead of their departure; and three hours before departing from Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madina. The company must place signboards on the front and sides of the buses indicating to which departure terminal they are heading, whether it is the northern, southern or Haj terminal. For Umrah pilgrims departing from Yanbu Commercial Port, the ministry has made it obligatory for Umrah companies to make sure beforehand, with the Haj Administration in Yanbu, that the ferry is at the port and is ready for passengers to board. This is because there are no waiting facilities for pilgrims at the port. For passengers traveling by land, the ministry said that Umrah companies and their agents must know exactly when their pilgrims arrive at the Kingdom's border entry points. An Umrah company representative must then accompany the pilgrims' bus to their residence in the Kingdom. This is to help out if there is a mechanical breakdown or other problems on the route. Foreign buses should be parked in the parking lots allocated by the Traffic Department. Foreign buses are not allowed to enter the two holy cities during peak hours unless permitted to do so by the company's representative. The ministry called on all Umrah companies to coordinate with their agents abroad to create awareness among Umrah pilgrims about the weight of their luggage, to prevent any arrival and departure delays. __
