Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khatib confirmed the completion of licensing for more than 4,000 buildings with a capacity exceeding 1.3 million beds to house pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah this year, which includes 400,000 rooms, in addition to 560,000 beds in temporary hostels, placing Saudi Arabia among the top 10% countries in the world in terms of the availability of hotel rooms. This came during his participation yesterday in a dialogue session within the Hajj Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah, noting that the ministry carried out 30,000 inspection campaigns to ensure that the buildings comply with the approved requirements and standards.
In the context of tightening control over hospitality establishments, Al-Khatib revealed that the Ministry of Tourism carried out 30,000 inspection campaigns aimed at verifying the compliance of buildings with the approved requirements and standards. The evaluation procedures resulted in the exclusion of 400 buildings that did not meet the basic requirements related to the safety of the establishments and the level of services provided.
Training 45,000 employees to improve Hajj services
The efforts to develop the hospitality sector extended to qualifying human resources, as more than 45,000 employees were trained to provide integrated services to pilgrims, starting from their arrival in the Kingdom until their transfer to their places of residence, while taking advantage of modern technologies to facilitate the procedures of residence and raise the level of experience of the guests of God.
For his part, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, revealed that the satisfaction rate among pilgrims with the services provided reached 931,000,000, thanks to the integrated efforts of 60 government agencies and the preparation and review of 600 plans in anticipation of the Hajj season. This enhanced coordination among relevant authorities and improved operational efficiency and service delivery. He added that the number of companies providing services to pilgrims from abroad has increased to 34, while the number of users of the "Nusk" platform and application has exceeded 70 million, indicating the growing reliance on digital solutions for organizing the Hajj journey and facilitating services for the pilgrims.
Agreements to develop hospitality facilities in Mecca and Medina
As part of strengthening the partnership between government agencies, the Ministries of Tourism and Hajj and Umrah signed a cooperation agreement aimed at developing hospitality facilities and raising their operational efficiency in Makkah and Madinah, which contributes to improving the quality of accommodation facilities and enhancing integration between accommodation services and the Hajj system.
This agreement came as part of the activities of the sixth session of the Hajj Conference and Exhibition, which was launched in Jeddah under the slogan “From Mecca to the World”, with the participation of more than 520 governmental, private and non-profit entities from more than 150 countries, on an area of 67,000 square meters.
The conference is organized by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in cooperation with the Guests of God Service Program, one of the programs of Saudi Vision 2030, and its activities will continue until November 11, with the aim of enhancing early preparation for Hajj seasons, developing services, and expanding partnerships between the concerned parties in the Hajj and Umrah sector.
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The Holy Capital Municipality continues to receive applications for Hajj accommodation permits.
