Saudi Arabia: Verify your Hajj 2025 company online to protect yourself from fraud

Dubai: Planning your Hajj pilgrimage is a momentous occasion and to ensure a smooth and fulfilling experience, choosing the right Hajj service provider is crucial. But with so many options available, how can you be certain you're dealing with a legitimate operator?

Recently, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MOHU) issued an important warning to pilgrims - beware of fake Hajj campaigns. To safeguard yourself, they recommend using their official website - www.haj.gov.sa to find a licensed Hajj service provider.

The ministry offers a user-friendly online service to verify the legitimacy of Hajj companies and establishments. This is applicable for domestic pilgrims – Saudi citizens and residents and here's how you can use it:

• Visit the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's website - www.haj.gov.sa
• Select ‘E-services’ from the menu tab.
• Then, scroll down until you see the ‘Inquiry about licensed domestic pilgrims companies and institutions’ option.
• Click on ‘Start Service’ and you can then view all the Hajj organisers and companies accredited by the Ministry.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf) is responsible for licensing Hajj operators in the UAE. You can find a list of approved operators on their website - awqaf.gov.ae.

If you are an international pilgrim, there are two options available to you:

Certain nationalities can use the Nusuk platform - hajj.nusuk.sa, to book Hajj packages from licensed service provides. Nusuk is a comprehensive platform that facilitates the journey of Hajj pilgrims entirely online and only pilgrims from eligible countries can register an account on the platform.

Once their account is registered and verified by the Nusuk platform they can start browsing Hajj packages from authorised service providers and book their preferred package.

The list of countries whose nationals are eligible to use the Nusuk platform is available on the Nusuk website - hajj.nusuk.sa/ServicedCountries

If your country isn't listed on the Nusuk platform, contact your local Hajj Committee or Commission for a list of licensed Hajj Group Organisers (HGOs) for 2024.

The ministry has reiterated that all Hajj pilgrims must obtain a valid Hajj visa through official channels — either via the Hajj Affairs Offices located in over 80 countries, or through the Nusuk Hajj platform, which caters to pilgrims from more than 126 countries and enables direct bookings.

International pilgrims can also reach out to the official call centre dedicated to assisting Hajj pilgrims. The service is available 24/7 and supports multiple languages. Enquiries and reports can be submitted via:

The article was published on May 15, 2024 and has been updated since.