Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has ordered the revocation of licenses from 16 tourism companies and the referral of their operators to the public prosecutor’s office for illegally facilitating pilgrims’ journeys to Mecca, the cabinet announced.
The order comes after countries reported more than 1,100 deaths during Hajj this year, many of which are believed to have been caused by extreme heat.
Arab diplomats told AFP earlier this week that the Egyptian death toll stood at 658, including 630 unregistered pilgrims.
“The prime minister has ordered the cancellation of the licenses of these companies, the transfer of their managers to the public prosecutor and the imposition of fines for the families of the pilgrims who died because of them,” a statement from the Egyptian cabinet said.
The report said the rising number of deaths among unregistered Egyptian pilgrims may be due to some companies “organizing Hajj programs using personal visit visas, which prevent visa holders from entering Mecca through official channels.”
A senior Saudi Arabian official on Friday defended the Gulf kingdom’s management of the pilgrimage.
Hajj permits are allocated to each country through a quota system and distributed to individuals through a lottery system. Even if a permit is obtained, the high cost means many people attempt the hajj without one. Pilgrims risk being arrested and deported if caught by Saudi security forces.
The unofficial route, which can save pilgrims thousands of dollars, has become increasingly popular since 2019 when Saudi Arabia introduced a general tourist visa, making it easier to enter the Gulf kingdom.
The official said the Saudi government had confirmed 577 deaths during the two busiest days of the Hajj – when pilgrims gathered for hours to pray under the scorching sun on Mount Arafat on Saturday and took part in a “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina on Sunday.
“This took place in difficult weather conditions and extremely harsh temperatures,” the official said, acknowledging that the 577 figure was a partial figure and did not cover the entire Hajj, which officially ended on Wednesday.
Hajj is one of the five major acts of Islam, and every Muslim who can afford it must perform it at least once in their lifetime.
Saudi authorities had previously said this year’s Hajj was attended by 1.8 million pilgrims, the same number as last year, 1.6 million of whom came from abroad.
The timing of the hajj is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, which moves earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar, and in recent years the mostly outdoor ceremony has taken place during Saudi Arabia’s hot summer.
