Saudi Arabia: No Umrah visa without approved hotel booking, what pilgrims must Know
In a major policy shift to enhance the Umrah experience and protect the rights of pilgrims, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that
no Umrah visa will be issued to international pilgrims without prior confirmation and documentation of hotel bookings via the 'Nusuk Masar' platform
.
This new rule came into effect on June 10, 2025 (14 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH).
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah made the announcement through its official channels, including an official post on X (formerly Twitter). According to a report by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the decision applies to
all pilgrims arriving from abroad
and mandates that accommodations must be booked only in hotels licensed by the Ministry of Tourism.
— MoHU_En (@MoHU_En)
All contracts must be electronically submitted and approved through the Nusuk Masar digital platform, the centralized portal for managing all pilgrimage-related services.
Objectives of the Policy and Government's Vision
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah clarified that this move is intended to:
Protect the rights of pilgrims
Eliminate unauthorized and fraudulent housing practices
Prevent overbooking
Ensure a high standard of accommodation
Streamline the pilgrimage journey for Umrah visitors
In an official statement, the Ministry said:
'The new decision aims to enhance the professionalism of service delivery, improve the experience for both visitors and Umrah performers, and guarantee that pilgrims stay in licensed, compliant facilities.'
The initiative is part of broader efforts to align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which seeks to transform the Kingdom's religious hospitality sector by integrating digital innovation and enforcing higher service standards.
This policy also reflects close cooperation between the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Tourism, both of which are working together to ensure a secure, seamless, and regulated pilgrimage experience for all.
Role of the
Nusuk Masar Platform
The Nusuk Masar platform is a key component of this regulatory overhaul. It serves as the official digital gateway for managing pilgrimage-related services and documentation. Through the platform, pilgrims and service providers can:
Book and confirm accommodations in Ministry-approved hotels
Upload and verify housing contracts
Manage permits and logistics related to Umrah
Access educational materials in multiple languages
This centralized approach ensures better coordination, faster processing, and a more reliable experience for pilgrims and service agents alike.
Strict Enforcement and Compliance Measures
The Ministry has issued a strong advisory to Umrah service providers, including:
Licensed companies
Authorized establishments
Foreign agents
All parties must ensure
swift documentation and full compliance
with the new directive.
The Ministry warned that delays or failure to submit housing contracts through Nusuk Masar could lead to visa rejections, processing delays, or regulatory penalties.
This push is also meant to eliminate previous complaints related to substandard accommodation, fraudulent bookings, and last-minute cancellations, issues that have affected the quality of service for many past pilgrims.
With the 2025 Umrah season underway, Saudi Arabia's new regulation represents a decisive effort to improve pilgrims' safety and comfort. Beyond ensuring quality accommodations, the policy strengthens overall coordination among service providers and supports the Kingdom's broader vision of elevating religious hospitality by combining tradition with advanced digital and regulatory measures.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Vijayawada reinstated Haj embarkation point
In a major relief for the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has officially reinstated Vijayawada as a Haj embarkation point. The announcement follows a formal request by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Responding positively, the Ministry issued official orders declaring Vijayawada an embarkation point for Haj pilgrims. This means that pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh will no longer have to travel to other States to begin their sacred journey, significantly reducing both travel strain and associated costs. Welcoming the decision, Sheikh Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board and member of the State Haj Committee, expressed gratitude, and described the move as a 'great relief' for Muslim pilgrims. 'Reinstating the embarkation point in Vijayawada is a long-awaited and much-needed step. It allows our brothers and sisters to start their Haj journey directly from our State,' he said. Mr. Abdul Aziz added that the State Haj Committee, along with the Chief Minister, would work towards improving infrastructure and amenities at the Vijayawada embarkation point to better serve the needs of the pilgrims in the coming years, a press release said.
Economic Times
13 hours ago
- Economic Times
Travelling abroad? Why you must get travel insurance even when it is not mandatory
ET Online The number of Indians travelling abroad has been steadily increasing, reflecting a rise in disposable incomes, better global connectivity, and a desire to explore new destinations. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in the last calendar year, 2024, around three crore Indians travelled overseas for different reasons. This includes leisure, education, business, seeking better job opportunities and medical treatment. This year, the figure is expected to climb even higher, underscoring the growing trend of outbound travel among Indian citizens. Foreign travel: Travel insurance not mandatory but essential If you're among those planning to travel abroad in 2025, keep in mind that, depending on where you're headed, you might need to sort out travel insurance along with your passport and a valid visa. There are a handful of countries that do not require travel insurance, but, many nations do require valid travel insurance as a must-have before they grant you an entry visa. These regulations are in place not only to safeguard tourists during emergencies but also to make sure that any surprise expenses, such as hospital stay or medical evacuations, do not put a strain on the healthcare system of the host experts stress that even where it is not compulsory, it is prudent to take travel insurance. Subrata Mondal, Managing Director & CEO, IFFCO TOKIO General Insurance Company Limited, says, "Travel insurance may not be mandatory, but it is highly recommended for financial protection during international travel."Meet Kapadia, Head of Travel Insurance at says, "Even when travel insurance is not mandatory for a visa, it is highly recommended that travellers must have it. Travel insurance safeguards travellers from medical emergencies arising out of unforeseen events such as accident, sudden rise epidemic situation or any such related medical condition or unfortunate events like trip cancellation, baggage and document loss, trip delay, accidental death or disability. It offers peace of mind and financial protection during unforeseen events in foreign land, where medical or logistical costs are often very high." What is covered under travel insurance? Travel insurance policies, as the name suggests, are typically offered by insurers to cover a range of uncertainties that may come up while traveling, including health emergencies, luggage loss, flight cancellations and more. Elaborating on the travel insurance coverage, Mondal explained, "In travel insurance, medical expenses and personal accident are the main coverages. The policy also covers loss/delay of checked-in baggage, loss of passport, hijack distress, financial emergency, and personal liability. Premium is calculated based on the selected sum insured and age band of the traveller." It's worth mentioning that the minimum sum assured you need can change based on where you're traveling. For instance, a lot of European countries that are part of the Schengen agreement ask for proof of insurance for a specific amount before they give you a visa. In other cases, the amount of insurance is up to the traveller but it's strongly recommended to have enough to prevent any financial issues during advises travellers to be mindful of personal and destination-specific considerations when purchasing a policy. "One should consider age, health condition, destination-specific requirements, and the adequacy of coverage offered," he said."The Insured can opt up to SI of $500,000, if travelling to USA and Canada," he matter if you're heading to Europe, Southeast Asia, the United States, or any other part of the world, with travel insurance in hand, you can rest easy as it gives that extra layer of comfort and security against unforeseen emergencies. It may seem to be an additional expense, but the protection it offers can be priceless when you face medical issues, theft, or trip disruptions far from home, especially when you might not have enough financial support if something goes wrong. Kapadia says, "In cases if, some medical issue (say fracture in leg) began during the travel dates, there are some travel insurance plans that cover treatment for those after returning to India. Also, a few travel insurance plans allow inbuilt extension for 7-10 days after the travel dates. For baggage and trip home-to-home covers helps with delay/loss of baggage in both to and fro of the trip. Thus, baggage loss and baggage delay can also be claimed. This safety buffer by insurers ensure protection for travellers in case of any unforeseen circumstance."As more Indian travel internationally, having the right insurance coverage can turn a stressful situation into a more manageable one. N.R. Narayana Murthy Founder, Infosys Watch Now Harsh Mariwala Chairman & Founder, Marico Watch Now Adar Poonawalla CEO, Serum Institute of India Watch Now Ronnie Screwvala Chairperson & Co-founder, upGrad Watch Now Puneet Dalmia Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat group Watch Now Martin Schwenk Former President & CEO, Mercedes-Benz, Thailand Watch Now Nadir Godrej Managing Director, of Godrej Industries Watch Now Manu Jain Former- Global Vice President, Xiaomi Watch Now Nithin Kamath Founder, CEO, Zerodha Watch Now Anil Agarwal Executive Chairman, Vedanta Resources Watch Now Dr. Prathap C. Reddy Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Watch Now Vikram Kirloskar Former Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Watch Now Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited Watch Now Shashi Kiran Shetty Chairman of Allcargo Logistics, ECU Worldwide and Gati Ltd Watch Now Samir K Modi Managing Director, Modi Enterprises Watch Now R Gopalakrishnan Former Director Tata Sons, Former Vice Chairman, HUL Watch Now Sanjiv Mehta Former Chairman / CEO, Hindustan Unilever Watch Now Dr Ajai Chowdhry Co-Founder, HCL, Chairman EPIC Foundation, Author, Just Aspire Watch Now Shiv Khera Author, Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker Watch Now Nakul Anand Executive Director, ITC Limited Watch Now RS Sodhi Former MD, Amul & President, Indian Dairy Association Watch Now Anil Rai Gupta Managing Director & Chairman, Havells Watch Now Zia Mody Co-Founder & Managing Partner, AZB & Partners Watch Now Arundhati Bhattacharya Chairperson & CEO, Salesforce India Watch Now
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Economic Times
Over 95 lakh domestic tourist visits to Jammu & Kashmir during Jan-June in 2025: Government data
The figures for domestic tourist visits to Jammu and Kashmir during January-June this year stood at more than 95 lakh, according to data shared by the government. Union Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared the data in a written response on Monday to a query on whether the Centre is aware of the decline in tourist footfall and business losses in Jammu and Kashmir during the peak tourist season following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi also asked if any assessment was made by the government on its economic impact on local tourism-dependent stakeholders. "No such assessment has been made by the Ministry of Tourism on economic impact on local tourism-dependent stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir," Shekhawat said. The Pahalgam terror strike took place on April 22 in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists were brutally killed. India avenged the killings with Operation Sindoor under which the armed forces early May 7 decimated multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). A special discussion in the Lok Sabha on "India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor" began on Monday as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the military action against Pakistan had sent a clear message to supporters of terrorism that India was committed to defend its motherland. In his response, Shekhawat also shared year-wise tabulated data for domestic tourist visits (DTVs) and foreign tourist visits (FTVs) from 2020 to 2025. This data is provided by the state tourism department. Based on the latest information received from the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department, the number of DTVs and FTVs stood at 95,92,664 and 19,570 respectively for the period January-June of 2025. DTVs for preceding four years were -- 2,35,24,629 (for year 2024); 2,06,79,336 (2023); 1,84,99,332 (2022); 1,13,14,920 (2021) and 25,19,524 (2020). FTVs for preceding four years were -- 65,452 (for year 2024); 55,337 (2023); 19,985 (2022); 1,650 (2021) and 5,317 (2020, and for January-June period of 2025 it stood at 19,570. Shekhawat said the Ministry of Tourism has taken several steps or initiatives to promote tourism sector in the country, including in Jammu and Kashmir. On April 23, the Union tourism minister had told reporters in Delhi that some people with nefarious intentions had tried to again "incite separatism and terrorism" in the Valley and asserted that his ministry would do the best to "minimise the dent" on tourism in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.
