Umrah System of Regulation: Introduction

In today's complex world, a new industry has emerged to service the mu'tamirs (Umrah performers from abroad). To ensure the safety and comfort of Umrah performers, the Saudi Arabian Council of Ministers decided that a system of regulation should be established to provide a sound basis for contractual relations between service providers and Umrah performers and to outline the rights, duties and responsibilities of all those involved.

As a result, a number of companies in the Saudi private sector were licensed to provide Umrah-related services through clearly defined Umrah Regulations and By-Laws that state the prices for various "packages" of service. The licensing provisions also required the appointment through contractual arrangements of approved overseas travel agents to market Umrah-related "packages".