Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the revocation of licenses for 16 tourism companies and referred their managers to the public prosecutor for illegally facilitating pilgrimages to Mecca. This decision follows reports of over 1,100 deaths during this year’s hajj, with many attributed to extreme heat.
According to a statement from the Egyptian cabinet, the crackdown came after it was revealed that these companies had organized hajj trips using personal visit visas, which do not permit entry to Mecca through official channels. This illegal facilitation led to a significant rise in deaths among unregistered Egyptian pilgrims, with Arab diplomats reporting that Egyptians accounted for 658 of the total deaths, 630 of whom were unregistered.
“The prime minister has ordered the licenses of these companies to be revoked, their managers to be referred to the public prosecutor, and the imposition of a fine to benefit the families of the pilgrims who died because of them,” the cabinet statement said.
The senior Saudi official defended the kingdom’s management of the pilgrimage, noting that the harsh weather conditions and extreme temperatures were contributing factors to the high death toll. The Saudi government confirmed 577 deaths during the two busiest days of hajj: Saturday, when pilgrims gathered for prolonged prayers on Mount Arafat, and Sunday, during the “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina.
While the Saudi official acknowledged that the figure was partial and did not encompass the entire hajj period, it highlighted the severe conditions faced by the pilgrims. The hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, requires all Muslims with the means to complete it at least once in their lives.
Hajj permits are allocated to countries based on a quota system and distributed to individuals through a lottery. The high costs associated with obtaining a permit lead many to attempt the hajj without one, risking arrest and deportation by Saudi security forces. The irregular route, which can save pilgrims thousands of dollars, has gained popularity since Saudi Arabia introduced a general tourism visa in 2019, facilitating easier entry into the kingdom.
Saudi officials reported that 1.8 million pilgrims participated in this year’s hajj, with 1.6 million coming from abroad, numbers similar to last year. The timing of the hajj, determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, has resulted in the rituals occurring during the sweltering Saudi summer in recent years, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the pilgrims.
The Egyptian government’s actions aim to curb the illegal facilitation of hajj trips and ensure the safety and well-being of future pilgrims. The fines imposed on the companies and managers will also aid the families of the deceased, providing some relief for their loss.
