Yemen's Endowments Ministry Caps Umrah Costs at SAR 800, Warns Agencies Against Exploitation

The Yemeni Ministry of Endowments and Guidance has mandated a ceiling of 800 Saudi Riyals (SAR) for economic Umrah program costs under the host system, aiming to shield Yemeni pilgrims from exploitation and ensure transparent, easily accessible services and visas.

According to a directive issued by the Ministry, all Umrah escort agencies are required to publicly disclose the prices of their Umrah programs on their official websites and social media platforms. The Ministry emphasized that the authorization for dispatching pilgrims will be suspended for any agency failing to submit a copy of its officially declared pricing structure to the Hajj and Umrah sector.

Furthermore, the Ministry stipulated that no pilgrim groups will be permitted to proceed until the names of the hosting entities have been submitted and verified by the committee assigned by the Hajj and Umrah sector. The Ministry sternly warned that any escort agency proven to have violated these directives will face permanent blacklisting and prohibition from conducting Hajj and Umrah operations.

To facilitate oversight, a 24-hour hotline will be established to receive public complaints regarding non-adherence to the established pricing or any deficiency in the services agreed upon between the pilgrim and the escorting agency.

In a separate measure intended to alleviate congestion at the Al-Wadiah border crossing with Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Endowments also decided to temporarily halt the processing of Umrah groups for five days, commencing Friday, February 20, 2026 (corresponding to Ramadan 3, 1447 AH), at 11:00 PM.