Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Saudi Arabia promises to fix hajj booking system as British pilgrims are left without flights and visas

Saudi Arabia promises to fix hajj booking system as British pilgrims are left without flights and visas

Earlier this month and with just four weeks before the start of hajj, Saudi Arabia launched a new portal to automate and streamline hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage Muslims undertake once in their lives.

Saudi Arabia has promised to secure alternative flights for pilgrims journeying to hajj this year after technical issues on its new travel portal disrupted many people's plans.

British Muslims have told Sky News they have paid thousands of pounds for hajj packages but been left without flights or visas.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said it is "working to secure alternative flights and additional seats for pilgrims wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia from Britain, the United State of America and European countries".

It added it is also "also ensuring the immediate issuance of visas to enter the Kingdom. The Ministry is in regular contact with those affected by the limited seating capacity and the technical difficulties experienced by pilgrims using the electronic portal."

Earlier this month and with just four weeks before the start of hajj, Saudi Arabia launched the new portal, Motawif, to automate and streamline the pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims must undertake at least once in their lives.

The portal cuts out UK-based travel operators who typically organised the trip for around 25,000 pilgrims a year.

Fraud allegations


The Saudis had long-complained of fraud in the UK hajj travel industry, which has a history of illegitimate agents running away with thousands of pounds of pilgrims' money, and warned that an automated system would help tackle fraud and make the pilgrimage more accessible.

But many of those using the portal have told Sky News they feel like guinea pigs in the pilot scheme and that the absence of UK-based tour operators leaves them feeling exposed.

Momina Khatun, who is due to travel on Sunday, said Abdel Rehman Helbawi, a Wembley-based tour operator, is still offering pilgrims vital assistance.

"We've had so much help from him. He's held webinars with tips about what to do and where to go. It's really helped prepare us and make sure we're ready for this," she told Sky News.

Mr Helbawi's Dome Tours, a licensed hajj operator, has been running hajj travel packages for more than 20 years. Ms Khatun said the company's expertise is crucial to maintaining pilgrim confidence before such an important journey.

One couple told Sky News the stress of waiting around for Motawif updates was too much so they abandoned their plans and went on holiday to Egypt instead.

Another pilgrim said her flight dates had changed by a week which means she will lose seven days of her intended time in Saudi Arabia.

Support groups


Some have set up their own WhatsApp groups to support each other and to share complaints procedures, swap hotel rooms and there are even offers of spare rooms by people living close to airports for those who have their flights cancelled.

Saudi Arabia says the urgent package of solutions aims to ensure that every pilgrim has the opportunity to perform hajj and visit the holy sites. It has promised to follow up with travellers to ensure care services are provided.

Many of the WhatsApp groups are now showing messages indicating the problems are on their way to being resolved quickly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
×