The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in partnership with the Program for Serving the Guests of the Most Merciful - one of the executive programs of the Saudi Vision 2030 - organized in Mecca last night the annual closing ceremony of its forty-fifth session for the year 1444 AH, entitled “The End of Misk”, as part of its efforts to celebrate and honor the partners of success. For their distinguished efforts in providing the best services and practices to the guests of God, in addition to honoring the distinguished in the “Libitum” award for excellence in services for the guests of God.
In his speech during the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, blessed the pilgrims with the completion of their Hajj, asking God Almighty to make it an accepted Hajj and a worthy endeavour, and for them to return to their country safe and sound.
To ensure early preparation for next year’s Hajj 1445, Minister Al-Rabiah announced during his speech the delivery of the preliminary arrangements document to the Hajj affairs offices for next year’s Hajj season from today, which includes the share of each country, pointing out that the new timetable is an important shift that will contribute to early preparation, and urging countries to Preparing for next year’s Hajj from now, to ensure the provision of distinguished services worthy of the guests of God.
Minister Al-Rabiah revealed the timeline for next year’s Hajj mechanism for Hajj offices, which is as follows: Today, the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, corresponding to June 30, 2023, the document will be delivered, and on Rabi’ al-Awwal 1, 1445, corresponding to September 16, 2023, preparatory meetings will begin, the electronic path will be opened for data entry, and the list of companies will be announced. Licensed, as well as contracting with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and activating the financial wallet in the electronic path, while it will be on Rabi’ al-Akhir 20, 1445, corresponding to November 4, 2023. Service packages will be available to pilgrims.
He continued: On the date of 26 Jumada al-Akhirah 1445, corresponding to January 8, 2024, an exhibition and conference on Hajj and Umrah services will be launched under the generous patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, which will serve as an integrated exhibition of all available services that will be provided to the pilgrims of the House of God, while contracts for housing and places will be finalized on Shaban 15, 1445, corresponding to February 25, 2024, stressing that the country that terminates its contracts early will have priority in choosing the appropriate places for it in Al-Mashaer, with the aim of ensuring early preparations from everyone, so that we can provide distinguished and better service to the guests of God.
He stated: On the date of Shaaban 20, 1445, corresponding to March 1, 2024, the issuance of visas will begin, while on Shawwal 20, 1445, corresponding to April 29, 2024, the path for issuing visas will be closed, while the date of Dhul-Qi’dah 1, corresponding to May 9, 2024 will be the date of pilgrims’ arrival to the Kingdom with permission. God.
Al-Rabiah hopes that this new mechanism will contribute to facilitating better preparation for the guests of God, as well as supporting companies providing the service, through optimal preparation, pointing out that the Ministry is learning from the reports and observations of Hajj affairs offices to provide better service, and to improve the services provided to the guests of God.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and his deputy, His Excellency Dr. Abdel Fattah Mashat, in addition to the CEO of the Guests of God Service Program, Muhammad Ismail, honored the winners of the second edition of the “Libitum” award for excellence in services provided to the Guests of God for the year 1444 AH (path Hajj Affairs Offices), as follows: First: Hajj Affairs Offices that received the highest rating for completing the pre-preparation procedures for the Hajj season of 1444 AH, and their number is three winners: Iraq, South Africa, and Azerbaijan. Second: Hajj Affairs Offices that obtained the highest rating. Satisfaction from their pilgrims for the Hajj season of 1444 AH. They numbered three winners: Malaysia, Bahrain, Gambia. Third: Hajj affairs offices that obtained the highest percentage of qualitative initiatives provided to the guests of God for the Hajj season of 1444 AH. They numbered three winners: Turkey, Qatar, and Singapore, while Iraq won the grand prize for the Pilgrims Affairs Office, which received the highest percentage in the standards and specifications presented for the Hajj season 1444 AH.
The ceremony also included honoring 5 companies for services to domestic pilgrims that interacted media and awareness with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah via social networks, namely: Beit Al-Mashaer, Al-Kaf Company, Al-Rashad Camp Company, Shams Taiba Company, and Azan Company Limited. In addition to honoring the entities participating in the 1444 AH Hajj season, which number approximately 35 governmental and private entities, in addition to honoring the donors who contributed to development projects to serve the guests of God, in return for their efforts in making the season a success.