NAHCON’s Engagements in KSA: Progress and Preparations Unveiled
Jerry Adesewo
In a recent release issued by NAHCON’s public affairs department, signed by the Assistant Director Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, the agency has provided fresh updates on the engagement with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It reported that after the conclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing, Malam Jalal Arabi, the Acting Chairman, delved into three subsequent meetings to apprise members of various contingents about the outcomes of the meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister.
“Highlighting the constraint of time, Malam Jalal Arabi urged everyone to redouble their efforts, emphasising the need for the teams to swiftly finalise deals on the most critical aspects of Hajj. These deliberations persisted until after 1:30 am Saudi Arabian time on Monday, 7th January, with the following resolutions,” Usara, reported.
Key Meeting Highlights:
a. Relay of information from the Minister of Hajj and Umrah emphasized that the only way NAHCON could be guaranteed proximity to Jamrat in Mina is through the early payment of a deposit.
b. Addressing the space predicament in Mina, it was clarified that it’s not solely NAHCON’s concern; the Kingdom is exploring ways to expand the capacity of the tent city.
c. State Executives Secretaries or Chairmen were guided to leverage service providers’ open market to negotiate cost-effective services for their pilgrims. The NAHCON Chairman announced that there would not be a uniform Hajj fare this year, as the cost of accommodation and feeding would determine each state’s Hajj fare.
d. States were advised to plan their individual menus for negotiations.
e. A cautionary note was sounded to meeting members that the team of NAHCON’s facilities’ inspectors would not compromise standards.
On the directives to Tour Operators, she reported that the Chairman appreciated the maturity exhibited by Private Tour Operators in collaborating to work together, urging them to formalise agreements in writing for future reference.
“Tour Operators were admonished to explore liberalization of Mutawwif services to settle for those that would best serve their pilgrims,” she affirmed, adding that NAHCON staff were also directed by the Chairman to redouble efforts and work with updated guidelines.
Further preparatory engagements will continue with a working visit to Mutawwif company (Mu’assasa), GACA, Car Syndicate for Pilgrims’ transportation, Adillah in Madina, among others. The Chairman and other members are expected to secure favourable deals on behalf of Nigerian pilgrims, reducing the cost of the 2024 Hajj fare.
