'Visits to historical sites, no intermediaries': Saudi Arabia launches Direct Umrah Program

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah has launched a ‘Direct Umrah Program’ that will let companies serve pilgrims directly so as to ensure highest quality services while eliminating intermediaries.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the new programme aims at enriching a pilgrim’s experience by also arranging visits to historical sites related to the life of the Prophet and other landmarks and attractions of the country.

The programme is also tailored to encourage service providers and companies to adopt a model of professional destination management and trip organisation after Saudi Arabia welcomed a record 13.5 million pilgrims in 2023, the SPA reported.

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The announcement was made during a second meeting of Umrah organisations that was organised by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in cooperation with the Pilgrim Experience Program (PEP), one of the programmes of Saudi Vision 2030.

The meeting was held at the ministry’s headquarters in Makkah on Tuesday (August 20).

The meeting also reviewed the major challenges and solutions to enrich pilgrims' experiences during their umrah. At the meeting, companies and institutions were introduced to various tools and indicators to monitor their work. In addition to discussing the targets of Umrah season of 1446 AH, the meeting also launched various innovative services.

The new umrah season started on July 7.