DOHA: A number of authorised Haj tour operators (Muqawils) are likely to cease operations this year following a major cut in the number of pilgrims and a failure to get sanction from the authorities.
Of the 30 licensed Muqawils only 17 have been given permission to conduct the trips this year.
The Haj and Umrah Department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs has denied approval to the remaining 13 operators on grounds that they had failed to fulfil the required procedures, a local Arabic daily reported yesterday.
Before seeking approval, the Muqawils were required to book accommodations for the pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah, but many had not done that fearing a major cut in the pilgrim quota.
Saudi authorities have imposed a 20 percent cut in the quota this year due to massive expansion works in the holy premises in Makkah, said the daily.
Of over 15,000 applicants from Qatar, only 1,200 people — 800 citizens and 400 expatriates — have been given permission to perform the pilgrimage this year.
The Haj and Umrah Department announced the results of the online registration early this week.
Many more operators could quit the scene if they fail to get a sufficient number of pilgrims.
Several Muqawils have called on the authorities to ensure a fair distribution of the pilgrims among the existing operators.
“If 1,200 pilgrims are equally divided among 17 operators, each will get more than 70 pilgrims. However, some Muqawils already have 470 pilgrims while some others have only 150. It is anybody’s guess how the remaining pilgrims would be distributed,” said a concerned tour operator.
He pointed out that the approved Muqawils have already booked accommodations in Makkah and Madina and if they fail to operate the trips, they would be blacklisted by the Saudi authorities.
Many aspiring pilgrims who have their applications rejected are hoping for an increase in the quota.
Meanwhile, some tour operators have hinted at the possibility of a slight decline in the tariffs this year.
“Last year, a trip by air cost as high as QR25,000. This time it could be around QR22,500,” Al Sharq quoted an operator as saying. The Peninsula
