Saudi Arabia suspends 1,800 foreign Umrah agencies after review

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has suspended contracts with about 1,800 foreign travel agencies operating in the Umrah sector, giving them 10 days to rectify their status following a periodic performance review, the ministry said.

The affected agencies are among roughly 5,800 foreign firms authorised to provide Umrah services. The decision was taken after evaluations identified performance deficiencies and weak service quality, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The ministry said the suspension applies only to the issuance of new Umrah visas and is intended as a regulatory measure to allow agencies to address classification issues and improve compliance with approved standards. Contracts will be reactivated once the requirements are met within the specified grace period, it added.

The ministry stressed that Umrah pilgrims holding valid visas or existing reservations will not be affected, confirming that services to them will continue without disruption.

Applying approved classification criteria and performance indicators is a core regulatory tool to raise compliance among service providers and ensure that services meet required standards, the ministry said, adding that protecting the rights of Umrah performers and ensuring service continuity remain central priorities.

Ghassan Alnwaimi, the ministry’s spokesperson, said regulatory action would be taken against any agency that fails to correct deficiencies by the deadline. He added that the ministry would continue to rely on monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to strengthen the reliability of the Umrah sector and safeguard pilgrims’ rights.