المملكة: Hajj and Umrah: 10 minutes maximum for service providers to respond to pilgrims’ complaints

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah A package of instructions regulating the visitation service in Medina, which included new operational and procedural controls aimed at raising the quality of services provided to Guests of God, enhancing the efficiency of operating companies, and accelerating response to emergency situations, within an integrated system that relies on technical solutions and operational governance.

The Ministry confirmed that service providing companies have become authorized to provide visiting services in Medina in two ways, the first through direct operation provided that there is a regular office for the company within the city, and the second through contracting with another licensed company that owns a regular headquarters, specifying the legal responsibilities of each party, so that the direct company bears responsibility for operational violations, while the company bears responsibility for operational violations. The contracting party is responsible for fulfilling contractual obligations and returning the value of unperformed services and compensation due.

Splitting service contracts

The instructions stressed the prohibition of splitting service contracts or authorizing more than one company to provide them, as they obligated companies to provide the service to all categories of pilgrims directly or to contract with a single company that would undertake the service completely without exception.

The Ministry obligated service providing companies to provide data on pilgrims’ housing contracts no less than a period before their arrival. Four hours across the platform "Follow a path"In addition to providing a qualified guide for each bus heading to the pilgrims’ residences to accompany them until their arrival and confirming this electronically, with a commitment to prevent buses from leaving after eleven o’clock at night and bear responsibility for housing the violating cases.

Approved plan

The instructions also included preparing field service centers distributed according to the approved plan, equipped with reception units, modern technologies, waiting seats, hospitality, water and drinks, with the provision of surveillance cameras, security personnel, and welcome signs in different languages. Pilgrims, in a way that enhances the quality of service and ease of access for beneficiaries.

With regard to field services, the Ministry obligated companies to establish specialized centers to receive lost pilgrims and respond to reports from security authorities within a period not exceeding ten minutes, while providing a representative in the Ministry’s guidance centers within only five minutes of his request, in addition to following up on lost items, supporting sick pilgrims in hospitals, and documenting all cases via the platform. "Follow a path"

Visiting the Noble Rawdah

With regard to visiting the Noble Rawdah, the instructions stressed the necessity of prior coordination with the Pilgrimage Affairs offices according to confirmed reservations via the platform. "Follow a path"And full adherence to the specified dates, while educating pilgrims about the controls regulating the visit in a way that contributes to the smooth flow of movement inside the Prophet’s Mosque.

The Ministry also paid special attention to the elderly and people with disabilities, as it required that all service facilities be prepared to suit their needs, in addition to following up on pilgrims during visits to historical and archaeological sites and ensuring their safety throughout the trips.

Operational requirements

And at air ports, The Ministry imposed precise operational requirements, most notably preparing electronic systems for reading passports and linking them to the Ministry’s systems, completing procedures for reading data and printing bus manifests within a period not exceeding five minutes, in addition to providing employees fluent in the pilgrims’ languages, electric vehicles and wheelchairs, and completing baggage handling within 30 minutes for arriving flights and 50 minutes for departures. And immediate escalation if the data cannot be completed 24 hours before arrival, in addition to receiving the pilgrims upon their arrival, accompanying them to the means of transportation, ensuring that the luggage arrives with its owners, and dealing with any cases of loss or delay urgently.

Specific time targets

The instructions stressed the importance of quickly dealing with humanitarian and emergency cases, as they set a time limit not exceeding ten minutes for coordination with the competent authorities regarding sick or deceased pilgrims or security cases, while requiring companies to notify the relevant authorities. Within 30 minutes in cases that require follow-up, and achieving a complete processing rate for reports received through the unified call center according to the specified time targets.

These instructions come within the efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to develop the visitation services system in Medina, raise operating efficiency, and unify procedures between various parties, ensuring the provision of a more quality and smooth experience for the guests of God, and enhancing the Kingdom’s goals in improving the services provided to pilgrims in accordance with the highest operational and organizational standards.

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