Saudi Ministry of Haj: No backing off on Umrah fee

The Ministry of Haj and Umrah have denied rumors published in the Pakistani media and spread on social media that the ministry removed Umrah fees that were placed by the Kingdom on the second or additional Umrah visits.
New amendments were introduced to visa fees in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of 1438, when the government announced that the fees are fully paid by the Saudi government for all first-time pilgrims coming for either Haj or Umrah. The first entry of Haj and Umrah pilgrims will be free, but for the second and subsequent entries, they will be charged SR2,000.
Usama Khan, from the Ministry of Haj, Call and Guidance information center, confirmed to Arab News that no such information or announcement was made by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah that they removed the SR2,000 fee, and that whatever was published in the Pakistani media and on social media is false news or rumors.
Tahir Mahmood, chief executive of Global Haj and Umrah Private Service Ltd. from Pakistan also confirmed to Arab News that there has been no such instruction or announcement made by the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah that the Umrah fees have been abolished.
On inquiry of the news published in the Pakistani media and spread on social media about the removal of Umrah fees, he said that it was not from an authentic source and was a rumor. However the Pakistani public are requesting that the Kingdom and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman remove the extra charges, because a number of Pakistani families and people who want to come for Umrah would not be able to make it because of the fee.
“Many people from Pakistan will not be able to make their Umrah trip because they don’t have enough funds to pay this extra charges of SR2,000. It’s a request from the Pakistani people to the Kingdom to remove these charges so they can make their journey to perform Umrah,” he said.
The Pakistan Umrah Agent Association urged people not to spread rumors on social media, since there has been no announcement made by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah on the removal of Umrah fees.
According to the information, the news was published in Pakistani media and rumors were spread on social media that after boycott of Egypt on Umrah fees, the Ministry of Haj and Umrah removed the extra SR2,000 fees from the second or additional Umrah visits, and that the Saudi government informed their embassies in all countries about this, which was totally false, confirmed the Pakistan Umrah Agent Association.

Source: Arab News