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travel

Six-fold rise in visa fee reduced from 18 percent to five percent The revised visa fees India also performed Hajj this year with-
“A total of 2,340 Muslim women from
Naqvi said GST on Hajj pilgrimage was
affect all tourists,
this year, which ensured that more than
out ‘Mehram’ ((husband or a male first
may strain Haj pilgrims Rs 113 crore were saved by the pilgrims religious or business blood relation as guardian). For Hajj
during the Hajj in 2019.
2020, women who will apply without
‘Mehram’ will be exempted from the lot-
visitors, but exempts
“Accommodation in Madina had also
tery system,” he said.
been taken on 100 Saudi Riyal less in
comparison to the last year which re-
Naqvi said while 1.4 lakh Hajj pilgrims
sulted in savings of 3,000 per Indian those travelling went through Hajj Committee of India,
for the first time to
pilgrim,” he said. 60,000 such pilgrims performed the
audi Arabia has announced a Single entry visa for Saudi Arabia will now cost $533, up from $93, a Naqvi said a record number of 2 lakh perform the annual pilgrimage through Haj Group Organis-
nearly six-fold rise in visa fee. multiple entry, 6-month visa to cost $800 and one-year visa to cost Indian Muslims went to Hajj this year Haj pilgrimage or the ers (HGOs).
The move is likely to make through more than 500 flights from 21 “More than 2.67 lakh applications
Haj pilgrimage costlier than $1,333. All this will make Haj a costly affair, reports tehelka bureau embarkation points across the country. lesser, non-mandatory were received for Hajj 2019 which
S before. According to reports, These pilgrims included about 48 per included about 1.65 lakh online applica-
a single entry visa will now cost $533, cent Muslim women. pilgrimage i.e. Umrah tions. For Hajj 2020, online applications
up from $93, a multiple entry, 6-month will be encouraged. Hajj Committee will
visa would cost $800 and a one-year visa also organise awareness programmes
would cost $1,333. How much does a visa cost? in this regard,” he said. Replying to a
The revised visa fees affect all tour- question, Naqvi assured that people in
ists, religious or business visitors, but A single entry visa will now cost $533, a sharp increase from the earlier Kashmir would also be able to apply
exempts those travelling for the first time $93, a multiple entry visa, 6-month visa would be $800 and a one-year visa online easily.
to perform the annual Haj pilgrimage or would cost $1,333. Visas can be applied online before the trip or on arrival Moroccan travel agencies, mean-
the lesser, non-mandatory pilgrimage using electronic kiosks before immigration, and the government says the while, have agreed to boycott servicing
known as the Umrah, media reports applications will be processed in less than 30 minutes. the trips to Mecca until the exorbitant
pointed out. fees were abolished, the report said, add-
The pilgrimage involves considerable How long are visas valid for? ing Turkey, Egypt, and Nigeria have all
costs for visitors, especially for transpor- expressed their opposition to the new
tation and lodging, a Quartz Africa report Tourist visas are valid for a year and allow multiple entries, with a plan. Muslims in South Africa started a
said. The plan, which was based on a maximum stay of three months per visit. petition calling the visa fees “inhumane”,
recommendation from the Saudi Minis- and asked the Saudi government to
tries of Finance and Economy, came into What is there to see in Saudi Arabia? either scrap the payment or to drastically
effect on October 2 and coincided with reduce them.
the beginning of the new Islamic year, it Saudi Arabia has 1,760 km of nearly untouched coastline along the Red Sea Yusuf Abramjee, the secretary general
added. that’s ripe for development — standing in stark contrast with the resorts of the council of Muslim theologians in
The new rules are seen as part of a of Egypt, Israel and Jordan that have been peppered along the waterfront South Africa said that the community
wider campaign to lessen the kingdom’s for decades – and could make an unlikely winter sun destination for Brits. understands that “the state of the global
dependence on oil and to increase rev- Hundreds of billions of dollars are already earmarked for creating luxury economy is one of the reasons” push-
enues in other areas, including immigra- beach resorts on 50 semi-autonomous islands, intriguingly expected to ing the Saudi government to take these
tion fees, it said. Saudi Arabia, which is be exempt from the Kingdom’s usual rules, and for developing an eco- measures, the media report said.
the biggest oil producer in the world, has powered smart district called Neom that will extend across the border “But again, you cannot go and profit
been significantly impacted by the falling into Jordan and Egypt. from pilgrims. It is wrong. Our religion
oil prices. or those with a large Muslim population, 22 embarkation points in 2020. “The new The archaeological site of Madain Saleh, built by the same ancient forbids that.” So far, he said, communica-
In September, the Saudi government it said. embarkation point to be opened for Hajj civilisation that carved Petra out of Jordan’s sandstone cliffs to the north, tion with the Saudi government hasn’t
announced it would cut the wages and In India, the filing of applications for next year will be at Vijayawada in Andhra promises to be the Kingdom’s biggest historical draw, though it’s not been forthcoming. “All the calls for clar-
allowances of civil servants for the first next year’s Hajj pilgrimage have already Pradesh. So, in Hajj 2020, two lakh Indian scheduled to open to the public until October 2020, nearly a year after the ity have gone on deaf ears,” Abramjee
time. It came against the backdrop of started from October 10 and will con- Muslims will go for Hajj from 22 embar- visa launch. was quoted as saying. The number of
the prolonged war in Yemen that Saudi tinue till 10th of November. The only dif- kation points across the country,” he said. A desert retreat designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean people who can perform the haj are
Arabia has been engaged in. ference is that the process has become “People can apply online for Hajj Nouvel is expected to open in 2023. Near the capital of Riyadh, an enter- determined by a Saudi government
The move to increase the fees could be completely digital. A system has been 2020 from October 10 till November 10. tainment city the size of Las Vegas, complete with a Six Flags theme park, quota, and has been dwindling over the
very significant for the kingdom, given developed to provide E-visa to all Applications for Hajj can also be be filed is in the works, and the historical port town of Jeddah has a blossoming last few years due to a mix of expansion
that millions of Muslims undertake the pligrims and application can also be sub- through a mobile application,” Naqvi said. arts scene and an architecturally significant historical core that’s worth plans, or to limit diseases like MERS, a
pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina every mitted through mobile application. The minister said Hajj Group Organisers exploring. respiratory infection, or Ebola.
year, the media report said. The move According to Minority Affairs Minis- (HGOs) can apply on an online portal
has incensed many Muslim countries ter Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, there will be from November 1 to December 1. letters@tehelka.com

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