RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has introduced a new policy requiring Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Egypt to pay a mandatory daily catering fee as part of their Umrah visa charges, in a move aimed at streamlining food services during the pilgrimage.
According to international media reports, the new policy will come into effect from 1st Rabi-ul-Awwal and will initially apply to pilgrims from the four countries before being expanded to other nations.
Under the revised system, around 20 Saudi riyals per day will be charged from each Umrah pilgrim through Nasik meal vouchers with the amount incorporated directly into the Umrah visa fee rather than being collected separately.
The arrangement mirrors the existing mechanism under which mandatory transportation charges are integrated into visa processing via the Nasik platform.
Saudi authorities are also linking more than 10,000 restaurants to the Nasik application to provide pilgrims with access to approved meal services during their stay.
As part of the new procedure, every Umrah pilgrim will be assigned a unique BRN meal code before the visa is issued. The code will be linked to the pilgrim’s visa and can be used to obtain meals from registered restaurants throughout the pilgrimage.
The total value of the meal vouchers will be calculated according to the duration of each pilgrim’s stay in Saudi Arabia and verified before the visa is issued.
Saudi officials said the initiative is being rolled out initially for pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Egypt, with plans to extend the system to additional countries in subsequent phases.
The policy is now expected to duly affect Umrah tour operators, who will now be required to incorporate the mandatory catering charges into their travel packages.
