Hajj 2022: Moroccan Pilgrims Face Soaring Costs as Travel Agency Prices Surge

The packages offered by some travel agencies cost an average of 83,500 DH per person (double room), 73,500 DH per person (triple room) and 68,800 DH (quadruple room). Yet, just a few days ago, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs had set the fees at 63,800 DH (pocket money not included) against 49,906 DH in 2019.

Nothing to do with the exorbitant prices offered by the agencies. The Office of Foreign Exchange has also recently informed the Professional Group of Banks of Morocco (GPBM) on the ceilings of allocations to be granted to travel agencies as part of the organization of the Hajj 1443-2022 operation.

An allocation of 104,000 dirhams per pilgrim is granted for travel agencies marketing a premium product. It is 72,000 DH per pilgrim for agencies marketing a standard product and 52,000 DH for agencies offering the social product. "In the event that the amount of foreign exchange commitments of the agencies for these stay costs is higher than the above-mentioned allocations, the difference can be made up by using the available convertible dirham or foreign currency accounts of the travel agency or by subrogation of the allocation for personal travel, and this, after agreement of the pilgrims concerned," the Office states in its letter.

The Office also specifies that "the domiciliary banks of the Hajj files are authorized to settle, in advance, totally or partially, the remuneration due to the Saudi service providers when the contractual provisions provide for such settlements, even in the absence of the nominal list of pilgrims and the individual contracts concluded between the travel agency and each pilgrim".

This year, the quota of Moroccan pilgrims is 45% of the normal quota, i.e. 15,392 pilgrims, including 10,186 supervised by the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs and 5,206 by travel agencies. "Persons meeting the required conditions must pay the fees in a single payment at one of the Al Barid Bank agencies within 5 days, from Monday, May 30 to Friday, June 3," the ministry had announced in a press release.

It is specified that when coming to pay the fees at the Al Barid Bank agencies, each pilgrim must be equipped with the national identity card and the Covid-19 vaccination certificate (one dose for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses for one of the other vaccines).