Duties and Services Provided by National Establishment for Hajj Affairs (NEHA)

First: Duties of the National Tawafa and Guides Establishments

1. To provide a guide for each bus in cooperation with the Pilgrims Transport Companies when pilgrims arrive at the air and sea outlets.

2. To receive pilgrims at the Guidance and Instruction Centers that are situated at the entrances of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah by accredited representatives of the Field Service Groups (FSG's) at the establishments. These should accompany the pilgrims assigned to them, take them to their residences and sign the manifests that are prepared for that purpose.

3. To welcome and honor pilgrims and provide them with adequate information.

4. To assist pilgrims in finding proper accommodation.

5. To transport pilgrims, together with their luggage, to their accommodation by the means of transport that brought them and to facilitate their affairs.

6. To make their pilgrims comfortable and look after them throughout the period of their sojourn in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and to allocate a sufficient number of staff to serve them.

7. To report to the competent authorities unauthorized houses that accommodate pilgrims.

8. The establishments shall review the regulations and bill of implementation pertaining to the residences that are prepared for the accommodation of pilgrims, the residence criteria and the instructions that are issued in connection with accommodation in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al- Madinah Al-Munawwrah.

9. To create special groups for serving pilgrims staying at hotels and facilitate their affairs.

10. Establishments shall cooperate with the competent officials for the edification of pilgrims and guiding them regarding matters pertaining to their religion, shall designate persons to accompany them and guide them in the tawafa, sa'y (the seven courses between Safa and Marwah) and the remaining Hajj rituals in order to make it possible for pilgrims to perform their rites properly during their sojourn in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and the Holy Sites, or during their visit to the Prophet's Holy Mosque during their sojourn in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

11. To cooperate with the Unified Agents Office (UAO) and the Hajj missions in assigning their pilgrims to the Field Service Groups (FSG's).

12. To urge pilgrims to observe conditions of cleanliness and to safeguard the environment at their residences and in their movements.

13. To coordinate with the General Cars Syndicate (GCS) and Pilgrims Transport Companies in providing the buses needed for the transport of pilgrims.

14. To deliver to each pilgrim a card wherein is printed the basic information, such delivery being considered evidence of the receipt by the establishment of the pilgrims' passports. It is necessary to enter into the computer the full names of pilgrims, the number and date of their passports, the serial numbers of their cards, the dates of their arrival and departure, and their destination.

15. To make sure the pilgrims' passports or travel documents and travel tickets are kept with the guide of each vehicle designated for their transport from Makkah Al-Mukarramah to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah or Jeddah, for them to be delivered later on to the UAO or to the competent establishments.

16. To continuously check the conditions of their pilgrims and to assist them in the processing of their documents at government departments, whenever this is required.

17. To notify the competent authorities regarding lost pilgrims and to continuously make inquiries in that regard, at least every six hours.

18. To notify security departments in the following cases:

-Failure to locate them, twenty-four hours after they are being missed.

-Failure of pilgrims to leave on the designated dates of their departure.

-Loss of some pilgrims' luggage.

- Pilgrims' falling victims to pickpockets or theft.

19. To promptly notify the nearest health center in case of any pilgrim contracting a certain disease, particularly if there is cause to believe that the disease is contagious, and to assist the pilgrim to report to a hospital and take the necessary treatment or to bring a doctor to examine and treat him/her, if his/her condition so requires.

20. To assist pilgrims to report to hospitals and clinics when falling sick in order to receive treatment.

21. To call ambulances for transporting pilgrims who are not able to report to hospitals.

22. To follow up, through the guides thereof, the condition of pilgrims who are admitted to hospitals and to be in charge of the discharge of those who are cured, who are officially declared to have improved by the treating doctor, pursuant to the coordination with the Health Affairs Department at both Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, in coordination with the missions of the pilgrims they are in charge of.

23. To promptly supply the branches of the Hajj Ministry and the Treasury with the names of the deceased pilgrims, their nationalities, ages, the numbers of their passports and travel documents and the money and property and other things that were in their possession. There should be indicated the place, and cause of their death, and a death certificate should be given pursuant to the standard procedures; and to coordinate with their respective Hajj missions. The cemetery departments that are affiliated to municipalities should be notified regarding the death of their pilgrims, for taking the necessary steps connected with their burial.

24. The establishment (the Field Service Groups) shall submit manifests, in duplicate, of the names of the pilgrims that are to travel, together with the coupons that show the travel destination to the General Cars Syndicate, three days before the departure date of each group, whether they are traveling to their respective countries, to Makkah Al-Mukarramah, to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, or to Jeddah, with an indication of their nationalities and the means of transport that will transport them upon their departure. They shall attest the validity and truthfulness of the contents of such manifests.

25. Mounting pilgrims on the top of buses should be absolutely avoided, whether on the trips to the Holy Sites or between the Hajj cities.

26. To place a large signboard on the permanent headquarters of the establishment and the pilgrims' place of residence in Arabic and English, or in a language that would help pilgrims in identifying their residence.

27. To write down the addresses and phone numbers of the Complaint Committees at the pilgrims' places of residence in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and the Holy Sites.

28. The staff of the establishments and Field Service Groups shall see to it that all members of a family are accommodated in one location, whether in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, at the Holy Sites or in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, or in the vehicles, so that a woman remains with her guardian and a man with his wife/family.

29. The establishments should urge the pilgrims they are in charge with not to sleep in the streets or squares and other such places and to notify the Ministry's competent authorities if such things do occur.

30. All concerned shall observe the provisions of civil defense that have been communicated to them by virtue of circulars issued by the Hajj Ministry concerning safety requirements and instructions.

31. Those concerned shall bring the means of transport prepared to transport pilgrims to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah or Jeddah and shall provide all necessary assistance to them. It is necessary, as much as possible, for the passengers of each bus to be of the same nationality. In case of various nationalities, the bus driver heading to Makkah Al-Mukarramah shall be provided with a manifest indicating the number of pilgrims sent to each national tawafa establishment, and each bus shall carry all the number of passengers designated for it.

32. Every establishment shall be responsible for pilgrims' travel, or pilgrims' attempt to travel before the official date designated for their departure.

33. Without prejudice to the obligations of the establishments, they may make use of third parties to assist them in performing their duties, at their own expense and responsibility. Such parties shall be healthy and bodily fit, should have a good reputation, should be known for their proper conduct and their professions should be compatible with the job and service they perform. They should have the necessary qualifications for such job. This utilization shall be conducted in a lawful manner, pursuant to a contract that may be referred to when necessary. Each of them shall be provided with a card showing the particulars of the employee and his employer.

34. The duties indicated in this Part do not conflict with the duties designated in the resolutions pertaining to the creation of the National Establishments of Hajj Affairs as well as the royal decrees and decisions and orders issued by his Highness the Minister of the Interior, the President of the Higher Hajj Committee or by the Hajj Ministry. The establishments shall abide by all he duties and services that are originally entrusted to the 'mutawwif' and the 'dalil' (guide) in addition to the responsibilities and provisions on the basis of which the resolution creating the establishment is based. Moreover, the establishments shall be in charge of any queries concerning any of its pilgrims throughout the year and they shall keep clear records of them.

Second: The Duties of the National Tawafa Establishments at the Holy Sites

1. Each of the six Tawafa establishments shall be responsible for the construction and furnishing of the land plots and spaces, which are officially distributed among them by the commission in charge of allotment of plots of land at the Hajj Ministry, with the necessary tents for the pilgrims assigned to them.

2. The establishments shall carry out their duties of providing their services through the centers pertaining to services and of guiding those who get lost, under the supervision of the Hajj Ministry.

3. They shall provide each bus with a representative of the relevant field service group when they transport the pilgrims from Makkah Al-Mukarramah to Mina and Arafat.

4. They shall approach the Electricity Company at Mina for connecting the camps allotted to them with electric power.

5. They shall be in charge of supervising the cleanliness of the tents that are designated for the accommodation of pilgrims at the Holy Sites, and shall provide clean and cold drinking water, as well as proper lighting, and of securing the necessary servants for the necessary cleanliness, as well as adequate guards.

6. The establishments (the field services groups) shall receive the buses that shall transport the pilgrims up to Arafat or when heading to Jeddah or Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. They shall be in charge of the mounting and departure of their pilgrims according to the designated schedules as of their receiving of the buses, so that they may not cause traffic jams.

7. They shall place signposts on the headquarters of the groups in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, the Holy Sites, on the entrances of camps at both Arafat and Mina. The signposts shall be in the distinctive color of each establishment and shall be lighted at night.

8. They shall place, on the accommodation of their pilgrims, signposts showing the number of the Field Service Group.

9. They shall follow up the conditions of pilgrims who are admitted to hospitals and their guides shall organize the discharge of those who are cured and who are so declared officially by their doctors pursuant to the coordination which takes place with the Department of Health Affairs at the Holy Sites.

10. The burial of deceased pilgrims shall be carried out pursuant to a declaration by the establishment or its groups, which declaration shall include the necessary particulars of the deceased after taking the legal procedures with the Hajj mission in charge of them. It is stipulated that after the descent from Mina, the pilgrims' passport shall be submitted for completing the legal procedures and obtaining the death certificates for delivering them to their representatives or their Hajj missions.

Third: The Duties of the Unified Agents Office

1. To receive, welcome and guide pilgrims at the entry outlets and to show them their places of accommodation at the Hajj Cities if they have chosen of their own will to reside there, as well as to attend to their comfort and to assist them in doing what they need to do during their sojourn.

2. To transport the pilgrims' luggage and to provide the necessary labor for carrying their luggage at all the pilgrims' air, sea and land entry outlets, at no extra charge, against the fees previously collected for this purpose from the pilgrims on behalf of all the National Establishments for Hajj Affairs, for the services stipulated in these instructions.

3. To cooperate with the National Tawafa Establishments and the Hajj missions in allocating the pilgrims to the field services groups and to the residences designated for their accommodation.

4. To seek to facilitate the transport of pilgrims and bring the buses that are designated to transport them to Makkah Al-Mukarramah, or Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and to provide them with all assistance in a manner that secures their getting on the buses and their departure pursuant to the arrangements regulating all this.

5. After directing the pilgrims from Jeddah to Makkah Al-Mukarramah or to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, and after preparing all the necessary data pertaining to the departure of the pilgrims, the Unified Agents Office shall hand over the passports of pilgrims who are departing in each bus to the bus guide for him to deliver same to the services group in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, or the National Guides Establishment at Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

When pilgrims head from Makkah Al-Mukarramah to Jeddah or from Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah to Jeddah, for their departure in safety, God willing, to their respective countries, the Unified Agents Office shall receive the passports from the guides after making sure that they have all the passports pertaining to the pilgrims arriving on each bus.

6. To receive pilgrims' passports and travel documents and keep them pursuant to the instructions regulating this, to fill-in the questionnaires and particulars addressed to them, to indicate the number of persons accompanying the pilgrims, and to make sure that the name of the establishment is written in an absolutely legible manner.

7. To collect the fees pertaining to the services, tents, and transport, in accordance with the tariff designated for these matters. They shall also record the details of payments made by the pilgrims,in the form of statements, and stamp pilgrims' passports, using the special stamp of the Unified Agents Office, provided that the said stamp shall indicate that the government does not charge any fees from pilgrims.

8. To provide the Ministry's branch in Jeddah and the General Passports Department with the necessary data concerning the pilgrims.

9. To receive pilgrims upon their return from Makkah Al-Mukarramah, after having performed their rituals, or upon their return from Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, and to seek to accommodate them in the Hajj Cities, if they so desire, and to do everything that makes them comfortable and facilitate their departure.

10. To continuously monitor the conditions of pilgrims and to assist them in the finalizing of routine matters with the government departments, whenever this is required.

11. To notify the competent authorities regarding missing pilgrims and to persistently contact them every six hours, at least, and to notify the general security departments if they cannot trace them or if any of them is missing for more than twenty four hours or if he/she fails to travel on the designated dates for his/her departure. This shall not affect the obligations to search and notify the security departments of the result of the search.

12. To promptly notify the nearest health center whenever a pilgrim contracts a disease, particularly if there is reason to believe that it is a contagious disease, and to assist pilgrims in reporting to hospitals or clinics for receiving proper treatment or bringing a doctor to treat a pilgrim and examine his/her condition in case of necessity.

13. To provide the competent branches of the Hajj Ministry, the National Establishments for Hajj Affairs and the Treasury with the names of the deceased pilgrims, to indicate their nationalities, ages, passport numbers, to specify the money, property and other things in their possession, to document the location of the case, its cause and the death certificate, pursuant to the standard procedures, and to coordinate with their Hajj missions, and to notify the cemetery departments that are affiliated to municipalities concerning the deceased pilgrims, for taking the necessary steps for their burial.

14. The Unified Agents Office shall establish offices at all air, sea and land travel outlets for supervising the reception and departure of pilgrims, for providing the necessary labor for carrying pilgrims' luggage, at no extra charge, in return for the fees previously included in the checks collected from the pilgrims. These offices shall be run by selected agents with long expertise in these matters. They shall also coordinate with the pilgrims' transport companies and with the General Cars Syndicate. It is necessary that they should be assisted by an adequate number of experienced employees in this field. The following shall be observed when pilgrims head to Makkah Al-Mukarramah or to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah:

A. Not to have pilgrims that belong to more than one nationality in one bus.

B. To seek to assign the group of passengers of a bus and their luggage to one field service group.

15. The Unified Agents Office and the Reception Committee at the Ministry's branch in Jeddah shall be directly responsible, each in its field of competence , for directing a family to one establishment and not to transport them in more than one bus. The Office and the Reception Committee shall cooperate together and exert every effort to realize that.

16. The addresses and phone numbers of the complaint committees shall be written down in the Hajj Cities.

17. Without prejudice to the obligations of the Office, it may use third parties to assist it in performing its duties at its expense and responsibility. Such parties must be healthy and bodily fit. They should have a good reputation and should be known for their proper conduct, their basic profession shall be compatible with the job and service they are required to render and should be qualified to perform the job. Such utilization shall be effected in a legal manner and pursuant to a contract that may be referred to when necessary. Each shall be provided with a card bearing the particulars of the employee and his employer.

18. The duties indicated under this Part shall not contradict the duties stipulated in the resolutions creating the National Establishments for Hajj Affairs as well as the royal decrees and orders and resolutions of his highness the Minister of the Interior, the President of the Higher Committee. The establishments shall comply with all the duties and services which are originally entrusted to the 'mutawwif' and the 'dalil' (guide), in addition to the responsibilities and provisions creating the establishment. Moreover, the establishment shall be responsible for answering any query addressed to it regarding any of the pilgrims it is in charge of throughout the year and it should keep clear record of them.

Fourth: The Duties of the Unified Zamzamis Office

1. To provide pilgrims with Zamzam drinking water at the guidance centers and the Group Dispatching Control Centers, in one 0.5 liter container upon arrival and in another 1.5 liters upon departure. The pilgrims shall also be provided with Zamzam water at their places of accommodation in Makkah Al-Mukarramah according to the regulations issued by the Hajj Ministry. It is essential to make sure that those involved in providing drinking water shall be healthy and clean, and the drinking cups shall be clean, while the instructions issued by the Hajj Ministry shall be observed, in respect of clean clothes and the observance of hygienic conditions.

2. To fill tankers with cold Zamzam water and having same brought up to the Holy Sites (on 'Arafat Day' and the 'Tashreeq Days', at Mina).

3. To distribute plastic containers filled with Zamzam water among the visitors of the Mosque of the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, pursuant to the regulations laid down by the Hajj Ministry.

4. The Unified Zamzamis Office shall choose selected Zamzamis to monitor and follow up the provision of Zamzam water whether at the guidance centers and the Group Dispatching Control Centers or at the place of residence of the pilgrims, in order to ascertain that the services required of them are provided with great care.

5. Without prejudice to the obligations of the Office, it may use third parties to assist the Office in performing its duties at its expense and responsibility. These must be healthy and bodily fit, of good reputation and should be known for their good behavior. Their basic profession shall be compatible with the job and services they are to provide and that they are qualified to perform such work. This utilization shall be made legally on the basis of a contract to be referred to when necessary, and each of them shall be provided with the particulars pertaining to the employee and his employer.