Soliu Oyesiji.
Officials of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Tuesday held engagements with selected private Hajj operators in Abuja as part of activities surrounding the Umrah workshop hosted in Nigeria.
The meeting, which took place at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, formed part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with Nigerian stakeholders and review operational frameworks for Umrah and Hajj activities. The ministry officials, which include the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdulfattah bin Suleiman Mashat, had earlier met with selected private Hajj operators to discuss key issues relating to pilgrimage operations and service delivery.
“Part of the issues discussed centred on Saudi Arabia vision 2030, which made Umrah a core component of boosting the economic development and enhancing service delivery for the pilgrims. The Saudi delegations said the Kingdom has introduced some tourism sites for Umrah Pilgrims where they can visit and enrich their memory before leaving the Kingdom
“They are also ready to make access to Umrah visa easy having seen that Nigeria has one of the biggest Umrah traffic, but said they want to ensure that such a system will not be exploited by visa overstayers.
The Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfig F. AlRabiah is expected to arrives Nigeria by noon today. He is expected to meet with Vice President Kashim Shettima and hold further consultations with stakeholders at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
The workshop, organised by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in collaboration with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), brought together the leadership of Hajj and Umrah operators from Abuja, Lagos and Kano zones.
Media organisations, including Hajj Reporters, were invited to provide extensive coverage of the visit and engagements, which are expected to shape preparations for upcoming Umrah and Hajj operations.
