RIYADH: Haj companies are not allowed to advertise ‘Very Important Person' (VIP) services for pilgrims, and those found doing so will be punished, according to Ibrahim Al-Jabri, Director General of the General Administration for Internal Haj Affairs. Al-Jabri said Haj is a ritual decreed by Almighty Allah for all believers, regardless of their social status. He added that Haj is not meant to be a “picnic”. He said the ministry will also not allow any Haj company to exploit the names of some scholars with the sole objective of attracting pilgrims for profit. Al-Jabri said the administration has assigned 24 companies and establishments to carry out the ministry's reduced Haj fees program for 31,400 pilgrims at a cost ranging between SR1,900 and SR3,900. He said six Haj companies had their quota reduced and fined for violating Haj rules. Field inspection committees had uncovered these violations. He said the companies have appealed the committee's decision at the Administrative Court in Makkah. He said the ministry has classified Haj companies and establishments into five groups, from A to H. The classifications have been made according to the distance from the Jamarat area and not according to the quality of their services. This means that the cost to local pilgrims is based on the distance from the Jamarat not the quality of services. He said the differences and discrepancies in the fees domestic Haj companies charge local pilgrims had resulted in Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister sending out a questionnaire asking pilgrims to provide their views on the reduced Haj fees service program. The majority of local pilgrims had expressed their satisfaction with the program. The ministry had then assigned the 24 companies to provide the service. He said the cost of the reduced Haj is SR1,900 for internal pilgrims seeking the service of Class H companies. The fees increase to SR3,900 according to the class of the company. “Once again I want to clarify that the nearness and the location of the company to the Jamarat area in Mina determines the company's fees.” About the ministry's new services for this year's Haj, he said the first phase of the Haj Train Project will be operational this year. The train will reduce the time taken to transport pilgrims and significantly reduce traffic jams.
