MAKKAH — Both Saudis and expatriates pilgrims are now able to register online with local Haj service companies after the Haj Ministry launched its e-gate on Sunday.
As many as 120 of the Haj companies have filed a lawsuit against the ministry at the Makkah Administrative Court asking it to rescind its unacceptable terms and conditions including serving turkey for dinner and using freon air-conditioners.
The National Haj and Umrah Committee has said the companies are still committed to serving pilgrims, regardless of their dispute with the ministry.
The committee's deputy chairman, Abdul Qadir Al-Jabarti, said the companies will continue to provide services as usual to pilgrims.
"Allah has bestowed us with the honor to serve the pilgrims and we will never give up this sacred duty regardless of the difficulties facing us," he said.
He described the averager price of SR7,500 per pilgrim as "fair", and said the committee has asked the ministry to make known the number of complaints filed by pilgrims over prices and services.
Jabarti accused the ministry of not building its e-gate on solid studies and said the continuous changes in prices of service categories was proof for a lack of sufficient research.
"This is harming the local Haj companies and is also hindering them from dedicating their full time to serving the pilgrims," he added.
Despite the grievances of service companies, the ministry on Saturday launched a massive media campaign introducing its e-gate to the public, saying it would enable pilgrims to register, pay and complain electronically about any deficiency in services.
"This is a transparent system we have introduced to upgrade the services being provided to the guests of God. It may also be used by the pilgrims as a reference in case of differences with the service-providing companies," it said.
The ministry has decided four price categories for local pilgrims, ranging from SR7,546 to SR11,890.
It said the reduced cost Haj will start at SR3,000 and reach SR5,250, while the low-cost Haj will be only SR3,000.
According to the ministry, pilgrims may cancel their registration with Haj companies before or after paying but will have to pay a cancellation fee. Meanwhile, pilgrims from several countries arrived in Jeddah and Madinah on Sunday.
The first group of 418 Bangladeshi pilgrims arrived at the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport by a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dhaka.
Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport received the first pilgrims from Pakistan and India. A Shaheen Air flight carrying 150 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Madinah from Karachi Sunday morning.
The pilgrims were welcomed by Pakistan Consul General in Jeddah Aftab Ahmed Khokher, the consulate staff and Saudi officials.
A second Shaheen Air flight carrying 360 Pakistani pilgrims from Lahore arrived at Madinah airport later in the day.
The first Haj flight from India arrived in Madinah early Sunday carrying 102 pilgrims from Mumbai, according to the airport officials.
Bangladeshi Ambassador to the Kingdom Golam Moshi, accompanied by Consul General in Jeddah A.K.M. Shahidul Karim and Haj Consul Md Asaduzzaman welcomed the first group of pilgrims arriving from his country.
Abdullah Muhammad Marghalani, director general of the Jeddah Office of the Saudi Ministry of Haj and representatives from the Ministry of Haj were also present at the airport to greet the pilgrims.
Welcoming the pilgrims, Ambassador Moshi hoped this year the pilgrims would be able to perform their Haj rituals with much ease.
In response to a query from the media, Moshi said all arrangements have been made by their government in Dhaka to help Bangladeshi pilgrims perform their Haj rituals smoothly.
This year 1,01,758 Bangladesh pilgrims will perform Haj. Of them, 2,754 will travel under arrangements made by the government and the rest under private groups.
The last flight carrying the Bangladeshi pilgrims will arrive in the Kingdom on Sept. 18.
Also on Sunday, 107 pilgrims from South Africa, the first non-Arab African country to send pilgrims, arrived in Jeddah.
The pilgrims were received by Vice Chairman of the Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims from Non-Arab Arab Countries Abdulrahman Mariah, Head of Field Services Waleed Alawi and other officials received the pilgrims.
