Foreign brokers accused of hoodwinking pilgrims

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Many foreign pilgrims have complained that brokers and intermediaries of Umrah companies in their countries had cheated them by allotting accommodation either in low-class hotels in Makkah’s central area or far away from the Holy Haram after charging high prices. Mohammed Rajab, an Egyptian, said he had agreed with the Umrah company’s broker to make reservation in a hotel near the Haram to help him perform the five obligatory prayers at the Grand Mosque without any delay. “Because of old age it would be difficult for me to stay in a hotel far away from the Haram and catch a bus or a taxi to reach the mosque every prayer time,” he told Makkah Arabic daily. “I asked the agent to book a hotel room near the Haram so that I would not miss the five compulsory prayers. But when I arrived in Makkah I found the hotel far away from the Haram. This is clear cheating by the agent,” he said. Sulaiman Ibrahim, another pilgrim, had a similar experience. “Whenever I come for Umrah, I book a hotel room located in the central area of Makkah. I am ready to pay any charges for it to be in the vicinity of Haram.” He added: “This time when I arrived in Makkah I was accommodated in a low-class hotel offering poor services. I rejected that hotel as its services did not cope with the money I have paid.” Ibrahim said he paid the money on condition that the hotel should be located inside the central area and provide excellent services. “I am planning to lodge a complaint against the agent.” Saad Al-Qurashi, a member of the board of directors of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said such problems and discrepancies are caused by intermediaries. “Some Umrah companies do not reach an agreement with pilgrims directly. Instead they use brokers to reach a deal with customers. The brokers will allocate cheaper hotels in the central area and charge high prices from pilgrims giving them the impression that they would be staying closer to the Haram,” he told the Arabic daily. Al-Qurashi urged pilgrims to get all details of the hotel in Makkah and its price before reaching an agreement. “Other countries have their own laws and it would be difficult to interfere. So the pilgrim should make a thorough study before paying to protect his rights,” he said. Hatim Qadi, spokesman of the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, said his organization supervises pilgrims’ dealings with Saudi Umrah firms on the basis of visas they have received. “If a pilgrim is accommodated in a low-class hotel, violating the agreement, the ministry would check it and the pilgrim would be shifted to the class hotel he was offered in the agreement.” However, he pointed out that the ministry would not be able to take any action against middle men outside the Kingdom who cheat pilgrims by offering cheap services for high prices.