Hajj 2019: Saudi provides specialised vehicles for transporting pilgrims’ meals

PRECOOKED meals will be increased by 30 per cent in Hajj season 1440 AH (2019) as a partial replacement of cooked meals, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Ministry Undersecretary, Dr. Hussein Al Sharif, has said, expecting them to hit 40 per cent by 2020.

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“The catering sector is a promising project with many investment opportunities that Saudi entrepreneurs can utilise, especially as the projected expenditure by 2020 will reach SAR 20 billion and increase to SAR 47 billion by 2030,” he added during the second edition of “Safqah” (Deal) forum, which was inaugurated on Monday in Makkah and organised by Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Al Sharif noted that although there are challenges associated with catering sector during Hajj season, there are promising opportunities for entrepreneurs.

For example, the sector will be supported by specialised vehicles for transporting precooked meals and offering them to pilgrims in a professional and hospitable manner, as well as many other creative ideas.

Also, Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Mohammad Benten, stated that that Hajj ministry is about to launch first Hajj and Umrah business accelerator to redirect relevant projects towards micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) led by male and female entrepreneurs, adding that “we have completed technical procedures and signed agreements with specialised companies to develop the quality of services.”

One of “Safqah” objectives is to develop the entrepreneurship sector in the Holy Capital by reviewing opportunities and knowledge, and developing the services of tourism, Hajj and Umrah systems to support Ministry of Hajj and Umrah needs and Hajj and Umrah Guest Programme highlighted in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdul Fattah bin Suleiman Masha , highlighted the investment opportunities in the sector which represent the complementary services to the basic ones, adding that the sector is a fertile environment for business and entrepreneurship, which needs creative ideas and keenness to prepare economic feasibility studies before starting the project.

Hajj and Umrah Guest Programme manager, Ramy Kensara, said there are many investment opportunities for male/female entrepreneurs in the field of pilgrims’ gifts, stressing that average expenditure of each pilgrim or Umrah performer on gifts reaches SAR 1000 riyals (266 US dollars), but they are imported ones, not homemade.

He called for localising the gifts industry and benefiting such revenues in developing local innovative products.

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In another development, Makkah governor, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, opened the Makkah Cultural Forum on Sunday, where he addressed growing demands to improve pilgrimage experiences for Muslims visiting holy sites and cities in Saudi Arabia.

Called “How to Develop Cities to Serve the Hajj and Umrah,” the forum was the first of its kind for over 12 years.

In that time, the prince said, the Kingdom had made great strides forward in developing innovative, creative ways of improving pilgrimages, and now welcomed people from across the Islamic world “with a smile,” but now needed to do more, and not rest on its laurels.

Prince Khaled, who chaired the forum, announced the launch of four new initiatives as part of a drive to modernise Hajj and Umrah.

He also signed off on a number of smaller agreements between the city of Makkah, several Saudi universities, and the ministries of Islamic Affairs and Hajj and Umrah to improve organisation of the pilgrimages and the provision of services to participants.

The four initiatives, drawn up with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, include establishing a training centre and ratifying a code of ethics and conduct for government employees working on pilgrimages, refining and improving the Yusr app for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, and supporting the Sadiq Al-Moatamir (Friend of the Pilgrim) initiative, which has so far trained over one million Hajj volunteers.

Deputy Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Dr Abdul Fattah bin Suleiman Mashat, stressed that serving pilgrims was a top priority for the Kingdom.

“Since its inception, Saudi Arabia has served pilgrims; it is one of our most important founding principles. We aim to motivate Muslims and make it easier for them to perform the Hajj and Umrah rituals, and encourage investors to help serve pilgrims,” he said, adding that in all the initiatives, sustainability in supporting businesses, citizens and pilgrims on Hajj and Umrah was essential.

To ensure this, he said, the forum would need to “think outside the box,” and adopt measures to oversee and “incubate” all of the agreed initiatives, providing assistance and consultations.

The ceremony concluded with the additional signing of nine agreements between government agencies and private organizations, including a memorandum of strategic cooperation between ministries as part of the Hajj training center initiative.

There were also agreements to finance shaded parking spaces, smart guide boards and air-conditioned lounges to accommodate pilgrims, and a number of other developments related to improving infrastructure in Makkah, Jeddah and elsewhere, between, among others, the cities’ authorities, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Saudi Electricity Company,