Saudi Arabia Suspends Nine Umrah Companies for Safety Violations

Samira Yusuf

July 16, 2025

Crackdown targets unlicensed housing and contractual breaches

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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has taken decisive regulatory action by suspending nine Umrah operators, which includes seven companies that were banned on July 15, 2025, along with two additional companies that were penalized a few days prior.

The ministry confirmed all suspended companies engaged in critical breaches: housing pilgrims in unlicensed accommodations, violating regulatory guidelines, and failing contractual obligations.

These practices directly compromised safety through exposure to facilities lacking fire exits, sanitation controls, and security protocols.

Immediate legal proceedings against the companies are underway, with penalties including license revocation, fines exceeding 500,000 SAR, and mandatory pilgrim compensation.

“We enforce zero tolerance for negligence,” stated Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah. “Affected pilgrims are being relocated to licensed facilities with full itinerary protection.”

Unlicensed accommodations – often overcrowded residential buildings – present documented risks:

Structural hazards in non-compliant properties
Absence of emergency medical response plans
Sanitation failures violating health codes
Recent inspections revealed 22% of suspended companies housed pilgrims in facilities without civil defense certification.

The enforcement of the crackdown strengthens Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reforms related to pilgrimage, which mandate:

Government-certified accommodation only
Real-time itinerary tracking via Nusuk app
Financial guarantees covering service defaults
Over 200 licensed operators remain operational under enhanced monitoring.