- Meal service becomes a mandatory part of Umrah packages for pilgrims from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh starting August 14, 2026
- Madinah Chamber’s Hajj and Umrah Committee head Ghazi Qutb says most budget hotels in central Madinah have no kitchens or food licenses
- Saudi Arabia’s catering market is set to grow 70% to SR47.8 billion by 2030
Saudi Arabia’s Umrah system has started requiring travel programs bringing pilgrims from Egypt, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh to include catering as part of their Umrah packages.
Ghazi Qutb, head of the Hajj and Umrah Committee at the Madinah Chamber of Commerce, told that the requirement took effect on August 14, 2026.
Qutb said the requirement began without a public statement from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah setting out the full list of countries, the minimum number of meals, meal specifications, or a fixed cost for the service.
The execution details are tied to operating contracts between travel companies and service providers.
The change moves the meal from an optional service pilgrims buy after arrival to a core part of the package, subject to contracts, monitoring and classification.
Qutb said this matters because the markets covered in the first phase send large numbers of pilgrims to Madinah.
“Madinah Catering Standard” with three service tiers, set meal specifications, and menus designed around pilgrims’ nationalities to reduce food waste and complaints.
He also proposed digital verification of meal delivery linked to each pilgrim’s permit to close gaps that allow fake catering claims, along with a system to manage surplus food.
Qutb told in earlier remarks that Saudi Arabia’s catering market is expected to grow by around 70% by 2030, reaching SR47.8 billion. The market currently stands at SR28.2 billion, spread across 23,000 licensed companies and kitchens, including central and temporary kitchens plus seasonal and permanent catering firms.
Qutb said Saudi Arabia’s food output value is expected to reach SR104 billion by 2029, growing 3.4% a year, with food sector investment making up 6% of Saudi economic investment.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Guests of the Merciful Service Program said Umrah visa arrivals reached 931,500 from the start of the season on June 1, 2026 (15 Dhul Hijjah 1447) through July 15, 2026 (30 Muharram 1448), a 22.5% rise over the same period last year. Total pilgrims arriving from outside Saudi Arabia passed 1.27 million.
Pakistan ranked first with 200,000 pilgrims, followed by Indonesia with 170,000, then Iraq with 130,000. Of pilgrims arriving from abroad, 75% came through airports and 25% through land and sea ports. Overseas Umrah pilgrims during the past Ramadan passed 1.68 million.
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