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Draft to Regulate Haj and Umrah Operators Sent
for Approval

He told Khaleej Times that the draft has been submitted for state approval.

The new draft mainly addresses the lopsided arrangements made by the agencies and operators dealing with Haj and Umrah pilgrims.

Dr Al Ka’abi said: “The draft stipulates that any company or person involved in the organisation of Haj and Umrah operations without a licence issued by the concerned body would be punished with a three-month imprisonment period and a fine of not less than Dh25,000, or one of the two penalties.”

He added: “The new law is aimed at contractors who deliberately leave pilgrims at the holy places without care or help. They will be subjected to the same punishment.”

Al Ka’abi said the code also contains a list of sanctions, which the violators might be subjected to. The new law would be introduced with a written warning followed by a deduction on the bank guarantee.

Going further into the matter, Dr Al Ka’abi disclosed that the list of sanctions includes revoking the licence of the erring person or company. A prison term not exceeding three years will be another penalty, or both these penalties can be imposed permanently.

He added that the person or company punished by one of the sanctions, has the right to submit a petition to the head of the concerned body within 10 working days from the date of notification.

He noted that the body would take action on the complaint within 15 days from the date of the appeal. If no decision is taken regarding the complaint, it would mean that the petition is rejected.

He said that in the event of a complaint by the pilgrims or licenced operators during Haj, the complaint must be submitted to the official Haj mission after the end of Dh’u al Hijah, the Hijri month of the same year.

He added that the higher committee could summon the contractor to be heard. If he or she is not present at the fixed time or does not make a statement, the committee will have the right to come out with an appropriate ruling.

The draft includes the establishment of the Higher Committee for the management of Hajj and Umrah activities to be headed by the head of General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Auqaf (GAIAA) and, will have a membership of at least seven members and a maximum of 12.

The cabinet will form the committee which is representative of all the emirates and determine the composition, the organisational aspects, the duration of membership and, the remuneration.

The Committee would be entirely entrusted with the policy making to control Haj and Umrah operators. This group will coordinate with the local authorities in the interest of the public.

All settlement of disputes between the contractors, the pilgrims and the Umrah seekers, will be the committee’s responsibility.

The committee will be made up of UAE citizens but not employees of the GAIAA or other local authorities involved in the field.

Article VIII of the code paving the way for a licencing committee, coming under the Higher Committee, is another feature of the draft. Deserving members under exception could be eligible for remuneration from both the committees.

Licences for Umrah contractors would be issued for a period of two years.

Proven and clean records of upto two years in Umrah/Haj operations would be the priorities for the grant of licences. Also, interviews and other laid down norms would be looked into by the committee.

The bank guarantee as determined by the higher committee before the issuance of the licence, will be returned, only with the consent of the Higher Committee.

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