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Some travel agencies and hotels are complaining of an increase in hajj costs this year. |
JEDDAH — As authorities spare no efforts to ensure a smooth, peaceful and safe hajj, some travel agencies and hotels are complaining of an increase in hajj costs this year.
"Pilgrimage records a very high price this year compared to the past year," Sami Sharife, owner of a hajj agency, told IslamOnline.net.
"The price increase in many commodities makes a problem for those who wish to perform hajj."
Flight fares have reportedly increased by 80 percent compared to last year, consequently increasing the cost of the hajj.
"The airlines justified the increase by the rise of maintenance costs and employers wages, but I doubt this is the reason," said Hussein Saleh, owner of a travel agency.
"The financial crisis is behind the rise."
A financial crisis swept the US and the world last September after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest investment bank, and the financial woes of a number of Wall Street giants.
Since then, the turmoil has knocked down markets worldwide.
But while some blame the economic crisis, others says prices always go up during the hajj season.
"There is an increase in the prices of hotels this year, but it's not because of the financial crisis," Othman Ali, the owner of a hotel in Makkah, told IOL.
He linked the rise to the massive security and safety conditions imposed by the government on hotels before qualifying to host pilgrims.
"This has caused a rise in the prices of hotels, while some hotel owners resorted to turn their hotels to residence buildings where pilgrims can rent," said Ali.
"The cost of safety conditions was just so expensive."
Millions of Muslims from across the world and inside Saudi Arabia embark on hajj every year.
Every able-bodied adult Muslim — who can financially afford the trip — must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.
Preparations
Preparations are in full swing to ensure that pilgrims perform the ultimate spiritual journey of hajj in a smooth, peaceful and safe atmosphere.
"We carried out several virtual aircraft landings outside the Jeddah airport, in order to ensure readiness to deal with any incident during hajj season," Captain Ali Mahmoud from the Civil Defense Department told IOL.
Security preparations are already underway amid warning that parts of Makkah may be facing rainstorms and floods during this year's hajj season.
"We will deal with this warnings properly," a senior official at the Civil Defense Department said.
Other preparations are also being taken to ensure that millions of pilgrims perform their rituals in comfort and ease.
The Ministry of Health will deploy 10,000 employees to help sick pilgrims, and all hospitals and health centers in Makkah and Medina are already provided with the best equipment and teams.
The ministry also introduced a new service for patients query through its website or via the toll free number 8002494444, spokesman Yasser Khaled told IOL.
Nabil Mohammed, from General Presidency for the Holy Mosque, cited an increase in the number of scholars and interpreters made available to serve the pilgrims.
"We will also distribute 250 thousand books describing the Islamic rites to pilgrims in various languages," he told IOL.
One of the five pillars of Islam, hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family. |
