Egypt to prosecute travel agents for ‘fraudulent’ hajj trips

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the revoking of licenses from 16 tourism companies and referred their managers to the public prosecutor’s office.

This action was taken due to allegations of illegally facilitating pilgrims’ travel to Mecca for the Hajj. The decision follows reports from various countries of over 1,100 deaths, with many attributed to extreme heat during this year’s pilgrimage.

Arab diplomats told AFP earlier this week that Egyptians accounted for 658 deaths, 630 of them unregistered pilgrims.

A statement issued by the Egyptian cabinet said, “The prime minister has ordered the licenses of these companies to be revoked, their managers to be referred to the public prosecutor, and the imposition of a fine to benefit the families of the pilgrims who died because of them.”.

The increase in deaths among unregistered Egyptian pilgrims was attributed to certain companies that organized Hajj programs using personal visit visas, which do not allow holders to enter Mecca through official channels.

On Friday, a senior Saudi official defended the Gulf kingdom’s management of the pilgrimage.

Difficult weather conditions, harsh temperature

Hajj permits are allocated to countries based on a quota system and distributed to individuals through a lottery. However, due to the high costs involved, many attempt the Hajj without a permit, despite the risks of arrest and deportation if caught by Saudi security forces.

The irregular route, which can save pilgrims thousands of dollars, has become increasingly popular since 2019, following Saudi Arabia’s introduction of a general tourism visa that simplified entry into the Gulf kingdom.

The senior official stated that the Saudi government confirmed 577 deaths for the two busiest days of Hajj: Saturday, when pilgrims gathered for hours of prayers under the blazing sun on Mount Arafat, and Sunday, when they participated in the ritual of “stoning the devil” in Mina.

“This happened amid difficult weather conditions and a very harsh temperature,” the official said while acknowledging that the 577 figure was partial and did not cover all of the hajj, which formally ended on Wednesday.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and it is obligatory for all Muslims with the means to perform it at least once in their lives. Saudi officials had previously stated that 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year’s Hajj, a number similar to last year’s total, with 1.6 million pilgrims arriving from abroad.