Saudi government issues strict travel measures for next year’s pilgrimage

The new changes were revealed by Sheikh Zakaria Kyewalyanga, the chairman of the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs. He said the resolution was reached after a joint meeting between Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs ministry officials and representatives from different countries in Meccah.

The new changes came after a troublesome process that saw a number of pilgrims locked out for this year’s hajj after failing to obtain Saudi Arabia visas. The failure is attributed to the failure of the e-system which had been upgraded only a few weeks before the hajj.

According to the new measures, starting next year all Muslims intending to perform the pilgrimage will be required to complete all the necessary requirements three months prior. This means that issuing visas for pilgrimage will start a month before the holy month of Ramadan and close on the 15th day after Ramadhan.

This means the issuing of visas next year will start on February 11 and close on April 29. The first group of pilgrims will leave on June 7, 2024. According to Kyewalyanga, about 26 Ugandan pilgrims missed this year’s hajj.

Kyewalyanga, who supports the new measures, warned that they would follow the new measures to the letter. About 1,460 Ugandan pilgrims performed this year’s pilgrimage, compared to 1,200 from the previous year.

Each Ugandan pilgrim paid a minimum of $5,200 and a maximum of $5,500 to more than 40 companies that operate under the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs.