The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has directed private Hajj operators in all participating countries to upload payment for Hady (sacrificial animal) on the Nusuk Masar platform as a compulsory requirement for visa processing.
The directive was communicated during a virtual meeting with private Hajj operators worldwide, where the ministry also reiterated that there would be no extension of deadlines for uploading pilgrims’ data and completing other requirements for visa approval.
According to participants at the meeting, the ministry made it clear that Hady payment must be completed alongside other service payments on the Nusuk platform before visas can be issued.
Reacting to the development, the President of HUTUON, Muhammad Awwal Suleiman, said the directive poses a major challenge for Nigerian private Hajj operators, noting that most operators are yet to make the required Hady payments on the platform.
He added that Saudi officials emphasised that no additional time would be granted for meeting any Hajj timeline, urging operators who are still finalising accommodation arrangements to proceed with existing bookings while resolving outstanding requirements.
Suleiman disclosed that, with less than four days to the deadline for uploading payments on the platform, no private operator in Nigeria has completed Hady payment, warning that failure to meet the deadline could jeopardise visa processing for their pilgrims.
He said Nigerian operators would convene an emergency meeting to explore urgent measures to ensure compliance before the deadline, in order to avoid disruptions in the visa process.
