Dammam, November 16: Many citizens and expatriates are put off from performing Haj due to health warnings swine flu could get worse during the autumn and winter months, according to Haj companies in the Eastern Region.
They added that the number of people registering with them had dropped by about 40 percent over last year.
Another factor that caused prospective pilgrims to shy away from performing Haj this year was the cost, which can sometimes reach SR10,000 per pilgrim.
Owner of Dammam-based Al-Zufairi Haj and Umrah Company Saleh Al-Zufairi said only 20 people registered with his company this year, down from 200 people last year. He accused Haj companies of unnecessarily raising prices while providing basic services. “This is an exploitation of the guests of God,” he warned.
Al-Zufairi, however, added a few companies did have to pay high prices for accommodation and food in the holy sites.
He recalled the Haj Ministry had initiated a program for cost-effective pilgrimages, ranging between SR1,500 and SR3,900 for certain categories of pilgrims.
“The incentives extended to us included increasing our quota of pilgrims next year from 700 to 800, allowing us to accommodate as many as 10 people in the same tent and encouraging us to use ordinary furniture,” he said.
Despite the lucrative incentives offered by the ministry to keep Haj costs low, Zufairi said only 31 Haj companies joined the program.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health urged high-risk groups on Sunday to get vaccinated against swine flu using its special centers spread throughout the Kingdom.
Last Saturday Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah launched the first stage of a vaccination campaign in Riyadh targeting local pilgrims and health officials and employees working in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah during the pilgrimage. The Saudi Food & Drug Authority as well as the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Evaluation Agency approved the vaccination.
—–Agencies