Four companies offering Umrah pilgrimages to Makkah have been suspended after visitors were provided with unlicensed housing, Saudi authorities said.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the companies, as well as four agents, were disciplined for violations that “affected a number of pilgrims”.
It said the breaches “involved the accommodation of pilgrims in unlicensed facilities”. The companies have been referred to a Committee for Reviewing Pilgrims' Complaints, which could issue penalties.
The ministry warned companies providing Umrah services they are subject to “field and digital monitoring” to check they meet requirements. The so-called Pilgrim Experience Programme to improve services for religious visitors is one plank of Saudi Arabia's economic modernisation plan as it aims to become a tourism centre.
Umrah is a pilgrimage to Makkah that can be performed at any time of year, unlike Hajj, which takes place during a specific window in the Islamic calendar. Although not mandatory like Hajj, Umrah holds great spiritual significance for Muslims around the world.
The ministry this year introduced a new Umrah visa allowing pilgrims to visit Saudi Arabia several times in one year, with a maximum cumulative stay of 90 days.
Hajj packages usually include accommodation and transport as part of wider pilgrimage arrangements, while Umrah travellers have more flexibility to book hotels directly. The current Umrah season runs until April 7, about five weeks before Hajj is expected to begin in May 2027.
