While a delegation from the South African Haj and Umrah Council (Sahuc) departed on Monday for meetings with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to discuss the upcoming hajj season, the regulator has released its preliminary list of 21 accredited haj operators. A total of 23 applications were received. Muhsin[…]
Embattled travel operator al Mujaahiedeen has made its first refund to mu’tamireen who were affected by the company’s recent financial crisis, which effectively shut the company’s doors to future business. The payment was announced in a scheduled meeting at the offices of al Mujaahiedeen, between the founder and CEO of[…]
More than two months has lapsed since mu’tamireen were scheduled to perform umrah with Al Mujaahiedeen, but the aggrieved pilgrims have not received a cent of the money owed to them. One of the 32 mu’tamireen, who was scheduled to travel at the end of December last year, Rogaya Hendricks[…]
Following investigations of complaints of mismanagement in the local umrah industry, VOC News was alerted to two families, the Anthony’s and the Patel’s, who were left stranded only days before they were scheduled to perform the spiritual journey. While the Anthony’s have requested that their story not be told at[…]
By Najma Bibi Noor Mahomed The Saudi Arabian Hajj Ministry has implemented a biometric visa system which will come into effect on the 4th of December 2017 in South Africa. This means that accredited hujaaj and individuals wanting to go on umrah are now required to go to the VFS[…]
South African umrah operators have been informed of a new umrah visa fee by their respective Saudi Arabian counterparts. On Thursday, it was reported that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj announced an additional 2,000 riyal (about R7000) would be charged for umrah visas for those who travelled for umrah in[…]
As South African hujjaj return to their lives, concerns relating to the difficulties experienced by elderly hujjaj this year have been a source of great discontent. Speaking to VOC, imam of Masjid al-Quds and hajj spiritual leader Shaykh Abdurahman Alexander said the hajj is a spiritual journey that requires arduous[…]
The South African Haj Travel Operators Association (Sathoa) says it’s concerned about the number of elderly and frail hujjaj, who travel without the support of a relative. South African haj operators are facilitating the movement of hujjaj before the big days of haj. Whilst dealing with the extreme heat, the[…]
UPDATED: South African hujjaj who were stranded at OR Tambo international airport were handed a life-line this afternoon after news that they would be booked on an alternative flight tonight. Distressed hujjaj missed their international flight to Saudi Arabia due to bad weather in Johannesburg. Sathoa secretary Muhsin Shaikh confirmed[…]
By Abubakr Abrahams With the first group of South Africans set to embark on Haj 2017 this week, role-players in the haj sector are now tightening their logistical arrangements for the haj season. Some 2 million pilgrims from around the world will travel to the holy cities for the annual[…]
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