KSA announces first Hajj pilgrims' arrival, domestic e-portal enhancements

The Director of the Branch of Ministry of Haj and Umra in Jeddah, Abdullah Mohammed Marghalani, has received the first Hajj pilgrims in Jeddah, KSA on behalf of HE Dr Mohammed Saleh Bentin, the Minister of Haj and Umra for the 2016 season as part of the annual official receptions of Hajj pilgrims and visitors to Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque).

The first flight of 260 Hajj pilgrims arrived on August 4 (1/11/1437, Islamic calendar) in Jeddah. Six batches followed that day, and are expected to continue until the arrival season ends on 4 Dhul-Hijjah, which should be around 6 September depending on when the new moon is sighted.

According to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), this year's pre-Hajj operations begin August 4 and end on September 5. Post-Hajj operations start from September 17 and last till October 16. Around 50,000 hujjaj will be transported on PIA flights this year. In the umrah season this year PIA reported that it transported 254,803 passengers on its flights, which included 375 extra flights in addition to regular flight operation. For umrah season 2015, 150,740 passengers were transported on PIA flights.

The Ministry separately began accepting domestic pilgrims' applications for Hajj permits for the current Hajj season through the e-portal that was launched last year. The e-portal is designed to simplify the procedures for requesting permits by Hajj domestic pilgrims, both citizens and residents. Registration and contracting for the domestic Hajj pilgrim services may only be carried out via the e-portal in accordance with the ministry's new strategy towards improving the services provided to domestic pilgrims.

This year, new services added to the e-portal include the ability to select the service provider, package and pricing. For the 2016 (1437) Hajj season, the KSA Ministry of Haj and Umra provides seven packages:

• The first service segment at the towers (currently established in Mina on the foothills, and inside its shari'ah space);
• The first service segment at the camps;
• The first service segment* at the camps, along with housing service in Makkah;
• The second service segment at the camps;
• The second service segment* at the camps, along with housing service in Makkah;
• The third service segment at the camps; and
• The third service segment* at the camps, along with housing service in Makkah.

In addition to these programmes, low-cost Hajj and affordable Hajj packages are provided. The e-portal will also allow the purchase of optional services provided by third parties. 

A new cancellation policy is also available on the e-portal. Terms and conditions apply, including the fees payable for cancellation, depending on the date cancelled, and how much of the package amount may be refunded. Cancellations requested on or after 7 Dhul-Hijjah, for instance, will require additional fees payable but no money from the package will be refunded.

The ministry stresses that with its adoption of the domestic pilgrims' e-portal, contracts made by and between the parties to such contracts, after paying the package fees will be valid, without physically signing the same contract. In addition, paying any other amount that is not included in either the e-portal contract or through the approved payment mechanism, is a violation of the agreement. More than 2,000 companies are currently serving domestic pilgrims. This includes 10 companies providing an affordable Hajj, which retains basic rights with regards to accommodation, food and beverage but excludes residence at Mina.

The e-portal was most recently been updated with two services. The Yakeen service allows verification of the portal visitor's data, confirming the applicants' personal data is correct, and reduces the amount of information that needs to be entered. Sadad is a payment system that accepts booking payments and provides payment confirmations.

Interested?

KSA citizens and residents may access the domestic pilgrims' e-portal till 7 Dhul-Hijjah at 8am, subject to moon-sighting

+View available domestic packages for Hajj (PDF)

Read the Suroor Asia blog posts on umrah 2016 and the domestic e-portal 

Domestic pilgrim e-portal in KSA near launch

Source: KSA Ministry of Haj and Umra.

The KSA Ministry of Haj and Umra has held a workshop in Jeddah for more than 250 owners and representatives of domestic Hajj companies and establishments on the version 2 of the domestic pilgrims e-portal, which had been upgraded after feedback on last year’s version. The portal consolidates a number of pilgrim services, including registration, e-payment, transparent provision of services, and drawing up of e-contracts.

HE the Ministry Undersecretary for Haj Affairs, Dr Hussein Al-Sharif said the domestic pilgrims e-portal would be opened soon following an awareness campaign on how to register. HE also stressed that citizens and residents should avoid Hajj scams such as phantom campaigns and transfer money through the portal.

Ministry of Haj and Umra on track to hand over domestic Hajj accommodation in July

Source: Ministry of Haj and Umra, KSA.

The General Directorate of Domestic Pilgrims' Affairs in KSA, representing the Ministry of Haj and Umra, formerly named the Ministry of Haj, has carried out the final steps to hand over tents and towers in the month of Shawwal (July) to domestic Hajj organisations operating during the Hajj season this year.

It is expected that the timing will allow domestic Hajj organisations to complete the furnishing of the tents well in advance of the Hajj, which is expected to take place in September.

The allocation consists of:

• Six towers on the mountain slope of Mina, which can accommodate 11,872 pilgrims.
• A hundred and ninety-four standard tents, which can accommodate 132,679 pilgrims.
• Another 77 tents in the low-cost Hajj category, with a capacity of 51,518 pilgrims.

All the allocations of tents for domestic pilgrims have been made after finalising the requisite procedures with licensed domestic Hajj service providers. The evaluation of each company's performance in previous Hajj seasons was the major criterion in the allotment of tents.

Digi sponsors calls to 24-hour Talian Nur and Childline hotlines

From left: Philip Ling, Project Manager for Safe Internet, Digi Telecommunications, Mohd Shamil Mohd Yusoff, Head, Outreach & Corporate Communications, Outreach & Capacity Building Division, CyberSecurity Malaysia, Dato' Sabariah Hassan, Secretary General, Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), Dato’ Sri Rohani Abdul Karim, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), Joachim Rajaram, Head of Communications & Corporate Responsibility, Digi Telecommunications, and Datin PH Wong, Steering Committee member, Childline Malaysia.

Digi Telecommunications is offering free calls to the 24-hour helplines Talian Nur and Childline 15999 in partnership with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development Malaysia (KPWKM) and Childline Malaysia.

This initiative is an extension to the CyberSAFE in Schools programme, a programme by CyberSecurity Malaysia in collaboration with the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Childline Malaysia and Digi. It is also in line with Digi’s aim to provide Safe Internet to families and children besides providing them easy access to an alternative support platform to turn to, in the event of an unpleasant online experience.

The Minister of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), Dato’ Sri Rohani Abdul Karim said, “Nowadays, we can see how the Internet has become ubiquitous with more people embracing it as part of their lifestyles. Unfortunately cyber threats are increasing in tandem with the prevalence of the Internet. Hence, we have to take all the necessary precautions to ensure our children’s safety when they are on the Internet. This effort is a fine example of how the public and private sectors can come together and collaborate in addressing key issues that are affecting the nation. We also applaud Digi’s continuous commitment towards safeguarding our children who are susceptible to Internet threats and risks.”

Effective immediately, affected families - especially children, can now make free calls to 15999 Talian Nur and Childline from all Digi prepaid and postpaid numbers. Talian Nur is a hotline link to enable early intervention for victims of domestic violence and natural disasters, while 15999 Childline is a confidential 24-hour helpline for children and young people to seek information, share feelings and get needed help.

According to Philip Ling, Digi’s Project Manager for Safe Internet, Digi has been a strong advocate for child safety and the right of the child to be protected on the Internet. “With the increasing rate of cybercrimes particularly targeting children, we want to make sure that they are adequately protected against possible danger on the net. This includes providing easy access to ways in which they can seek help. 

"We were inspired to do this by the recent CyberSAFE in Schools survey, which indicated that some children were not aware of the availability of online or phone-in help centres like Childline that can provide them with a safety net for problems related to the Internet. Now, children can easily make calls to get help without worrying about the costs, while the portability of mobile phones offers them greater privacy when discussing their concerns with the trained Childline 15999 call centre operators.”

Datin PH Wong, Steering Committee member of Childline Malaysia said that this initiative is great news for 15999 Childline as in many cases, children are unable to seek help because calls are currently chargeable. “Child helplines are a vital mechanism for countries to listen directly to children giving first hand data on issues that matter to them and are impacting their lives especially on Internet safety. We will continue to advocate for a totally free 24-hour child helpline. We applaud Digi’s commitment to make calls free to 15999 Childline as it will now give children a lifeline to access help anywhere and anytime,” she added. 

Childline Malaysia, initiated by the Malaysian Children TV Programme Foundation (MCTF), is a member of Child Helpline International.

Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, Chief Executive Officer, CyberSecurity Malaysia said, “The CyberSAFE programme is one of the initiatives developed by CyberSecurity Malaysia to educate and enhance the awareness of the general public on the technological and social issues facing Internet users, particularly on online dangers and cyber threats. In order to ensure the continuation of cyber safety and Internet security awareness as well as educational activities for children, all parties must come together and collaborate. 

"We foresee that as cyber security incidents increase dramatically each year, children are also being exposed to various cyber threats and may potentially become victims of cybercrimes in Malaysia. We are certainly delighted with the support given by Digi in taking the CyberSAFE programme to the next level. It is indeed an intelligent collaboration that reaches out to children nationwide.”