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The Minister of Religious Affairs and Wakfs, Youcef Belmehdi, indicated on Tuesday that more than 21,000 hajis, the equivalent of half of the total number of hajis, have been transported so far to the Holy Places in good conditions, in anticipation of the start of the pilgrimage rites next Friday.
The minister, who spoke this Tuesday on Channel 1 of the national radio, said that the process of transporting pilgrims to the Holy Places took place in good conditions, in accordance with the directives of the president of the Republic, which ordered, he said, the government to increase, this season, from 5 to 12 the number of airports concerned with the transport of pilgrims, with the aim of reducing the difficulties of movement and travel of pilgrims, particularly those coming from the southern wilayas.
“Today we are in great comfort because we have started the process of preparing for the 2024 hajj season early, since the third day of Eid-ul-Adha last year, in accordance with the new regulatory procedures imposed by the Hajj Directorate of the Saudi authorities, including the need to submit contracts as well as the nominative list of pilgrims, and transfer the money to the Saudi Bank early,” he said.
Belmehdi stressed that his department was forced to adapt to these announced measures, while thinking of returning to the organization of the draw before the end of the current hajj season. He assured that, this year, all arrangements related to the accommodation and living conditions of pilgrims in Mecca and Medina have been made, at reasonable prices and with distinguished services, despite the continued rise in prices.
“This year we were able to control the obstacles that in the past negatively affected the smooth running of the hajj season, and I can say that all pilgrims obtained the right to accommodation electronically, whether this either in Mecca or Medina. And the same goes for booking and determining seats in the plane as well as all other services related to early medical examination and the process of paying fees through banks,” he maintained, adding that this was done with the participation of all sectors and through the portal and electronic platform designated for this purpose.
Regarding the participation of tourist agencies in the hajj process, the Minister of Religious Affairs explained that his department considers these agencies to be a major partner in the conduct of the hajj, because they provide transportation for 50% of the total number of pilgrims.
He also highlighted that this year, 50 agencies were selected according to specifications which specify the qualification criteria to participate in the process of welcoming pilgrims, given, he explained, that this category requires a in charge different from the rest of the tourists. In this regard, he added that a monitoring and evaluation committee has been set up. Made up of several parts, it is not limited to the sector of religious affairs and the National Office of Hajj and Umrah; he traveled to the hotels to monitor the activity of the agencies and their commitment to contracts.
Concerning the defense of Algeria’s image during the hajj, Mr. Belmehdi stressed that the Algerian delegation is constantly greeted and enjoys great respect and a good reputation with the Saudi authorities, and that Today it has extensive experience and superior capacity in the areas of organization, supervision and effective management of the procedures imposed by the Saudi authority. It is also still in competition for the first places in this field with its counterparts from Arab and Islamic countries.
It should be noted that 41,300 Algerian pilgrims will be welcomed in Mecca this season, including 23,200 supported by ONPO and 17,200 by travel agencies.
The transport of pilgrims to the Holy Places will continue from 12 national airports, through 146 flights, including 88 operated by Air Algérie, 43 by and 15 by Flynas.