The Minister of Hajj and Umrah Delivers Speech at the Annual Reception for Dignitaries and High-ranking Islamic Figures
معالي وزير الحج والعمرة يلقي كلمته في حفل الاستقبال السنوي لأصحاب الفخامة والدولة وكبار الشخصيات الإسلامية
His Excellency Dr. Tawfig bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Chairman of the Pilgrim Experience Program delivered a speech at the annual reception for dignitaries and high-ranking Islamic figures. In his address, he outlined the Ministry's plans and organizational arrangements for all Hajj affairs offices in various countries, contributing to the early completion of contracts compared to previous years. He stated, "With Your Highness's support and guidance, competition in Hajj services was opened in 1443 AH. Today, we have 35 companies competing to provide services to pilgrims, which has led to improved service quality and increased satisfaction among pilgrims. We organize the annual Hajj Conference and Exhibition under royal patronage to facilitate Hajj missions. The latest edition saw participation from over 100 countries and showcased services from more than 200 specialized companies to Hajj affairs offices. This exhibition allowed them to review all available services and finalize their contracts under one roof." Dr. Al-Rabiah also highlighted the establishment of the Hajj Project Management Office (Hajj PMO), which coordinates between more than 50 government agencies to serve the pilgrims and visitors to the holy sites. It has presented over 300 action plans covering all procedures and services. Additionally, three major crowd management simulations were conducted with 15,000 buses in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior to simulate bus movements during Hajj and ensure sector readiness. Eleven buildings were constructed in Mina to accommodate 37,000 pilgrims as a prototype to improve the experience, with plans to expand the construction of these model buildings to serve pilgrims better, Allah willing. Dr. Al-Rabiah emphasized that, based on the Crown Prince's directives to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims, the Ministry of Interior, in partnership with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, launched the "No Hajj Without A Permit" drive this year to curb the phenomenon of unauthorized pilgrims, successfully achieving its goals. He said, "This year, we launched the 'Nusuk Digital Card,' an identification card containing pilgrims' information and the services provided to them. This enables authorities to offer services quickly and efficiently. The card includes special security features that help security personnel distinguish between authorized and unauthorized pilgrims. Additionally, under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior, the 'Makkah Route' initiative was expanded to include seven countries and 11 airports, facilitating the entry procedures for over 316,000 pilgrims from their home airports and transporting them directly to their accommodations in Makkah and Al-Madinah with ease."