Hanaa Aboul Fotouh, nearing sixty and about to retire from her job at the Ministry of Education, dreamed of performing Umrah last Ramadan. She was guided by some acquaintances to a pilgrimage and Umrah broker from her hometown, Kafr El-Dawwar in Beheira Governorate, who regularly brought visit visas to Saudi Arabia for the residents of the governorate to perform Hajj and Umrah.
“The broker assured us that there were no issues, and that the process was very safe. Those who traveled last year faced no problems. He convinced me to use the visa for Hajj instead of Umrah. The broker introduced us to a colleague working at the Alexandria Library, who collected amounts ranging from 85,000 to 110,000 EGP from each person. He told us he worked for Al-Aziz Travel Company in the village of Al-Basarta in Damietta, but I couldn’t travel to Damietta to verify his claims,” Hanaa told Zawia3.
She adds, “We were about 52 people, mostly from Beheira, Alexandria, Damietta, and Assiut, many of whom were illiterate elderly farmers who did not know the difference between a Hajj and a visit visa. We arrived at Jeddah Airport on the 11th of this month and went to Mecca, where we spent three nights in a hotel. Then the broker from Alexandria moved us to a remote area in Mecca called Al-Ghassala. However, the police raided our place and forced us to return to Jeddah. There, we were photographed, fingerprinted, and discovered that the broker had taken our money and fled, leaving us behind.”
Hanaa recalls how she and her companions were forced to hire buses to return to Mecca via a mountain road to avoid Saudi police scrutiny, paying 2,000 riyals each. While her bus arrived safely in Mecca, another bus carrying people from Alexandria met with an accident on the mountain road. The elderly lady and her group hid in a remote residence until they heard rumors of a royal pardon for illegal pilgrims, allowing them to perform Hajj. They rushed to the holy sites but were shocked on the Day of Arafat to find continued police chases, military personnel, and volunteers preventing them from performing the rituals, with helicopters tracking and photographing the buses of unauthorized pilgrims. Many had to walk about 16 kilometers in temperatures reaching 56 degrees Celsius, as she describes.
She could not ascend Mount Arafat, only reaching its outskirts, her feet swollen. Many of her fellow townspeople died due to the extreme heat and long distances, while others were hospitalized.
According to Hanaa, she finally reached Muzdalifah but found no transportation. She walked to Mina for the stoning of the devil, arriving after sunset, spending a harsh night on the streets with thousands of illegal pilgrims.
Falling for Deception
While Hanaa knew her visa was for visiting, Heyam Hosny from Alexandria did not and was deceived by two travel companies, “Ethar for Tourism and Transport” and “Al-Nimrah for Hajj and Umrah,” after finding their ad on Facebook. She visited Ethar’s office, met a man named “Metwally,” who claimed to be the owner, and assured her that her mother would receive a Hajj permit, wristband, and ID card, allowing her to enter the Haram at any time. They were promised accommodation in Aziziyah and transportation, for 135,000 EGP.
“After my mother arrived in Saudi Arabia, we were shocked to find that everything we were told was false. She received a visit visa, not a Hajj permit, and we were threatened by police chases. We were not accommodated in a hotel as agreed, but in a rundown building infested with insects in Aziziyah, far from the Haram,” Heyam says.
On the Day of Arafat, they were left in the streets without transportation, forcing them to walk a long distance to Mount Arafat and then from Arafat to Mina for the stoning. Heyam’s mother, a heart patient who had undergone stent surgery, completed the rituals without supervision.
Nesrine Mohamed couldn’t have imagined she wouldn’t see her 72-year-old mother, Afaf Abdel Aal, again after she traveled on May 16 to perform Hajj on a visit visa. Nesrine and her siblings eagerly awaited their mother’s return to Egypt on July 9, after completing the rituals.
Nesrine tells Zawia3 how her mother, who lived in Shubra El-Kheima, Qalyubia, dreamt of performing Hajj but couldn’t afford the 300,000 EGP cost. An acquaintance referred her to a company in Faisal Street, Giza, called Al-Israa for Hajj and Umrah Services. A company employee assured her they could arrange her Hajj at a lower cost without explaining that a visit visa is not permitted for Hajj. Afaf paid the company 80,000 EGP and received a receipt, along with 25,000 EGP for the visit visa.
“Upon arriving in Saudi Arabia, the company housed her in Aziziyah, Mecca, with 100 other pilgrims. The Saudi police raided their accommodation four times. My mother told me they once hid among garbage on a rooftop to escape the police. They were repeatedly forced to return to Jeddah, paying 500 Saudi riyals to a bus to return to Mecca. On the fifth raid, one of her companions bribed an officer to let them stay, paying 150 riyals each,” Nesrine recounts.
The 72-year-old Afaf faced another ordeal during the Hajj rituals, which ultimately cost her life. The company did not provide transportation from Aziziyah to Mount Arafat, forcing them to walk. Overcome by exhaustion and the intense heat, Afaf felt faint. She tried to obtain water or food from the distributed supplies but was refused because she didn’t have a Hajj permit, eventually collapsing.
After regaining consciousness, Afaf realized her group had moved to Mina, leaving her behind. She struggled to reach Mina on foot, hoping to join them and complete the rituals. Her frail body couldn’t bear the stress; she sought help from an ambulance but was refused assistance as an illegal pilgrim. Afaf fell into a coma, was taken to Mina camps, and remained connected to life support throughout the Eid days. Her family, anxious and searching for her, finally discovered she had died and been buried at Al-Muaissam Hospital.
“The number of deaths was overwhelming. A relative who was on the Hajj searched for her and saw many bloated bodies in the streets, most unidentified. My mother had her passport, so they buried her without notifying us. A resident Egyptian helped us find out her fate through a hospital chief’s confirmation that she was indeed buried,” Nesrine adds.
The fraud of some travel offices also affected Mohamed Attia and his veterinarian wife Anwar Mostafa, from Benha, Qalyubia. They approached “Al-Fareed” travel office to send Anwar to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, including Hajj visa, flights on Saudi Airlines, accommodation, camps, meals, and transport for 180,000 to 230,000 EGP per person in a 30-member group.
“We were shocked when the office changed their flight from Cairo/Jeddah to Cairo/Riyadh, then domestic to Jeddah. The owner left them in accommodation, promising to prepare their entry into Mecca, then disappeared. The pilgrims had to cover their own costs to move from Mecca to Arafat, walking to the rituals. Many got lost and struggled to return to their accommodation, running out of money and unable to go to Medina,” Attia explains.
He confirms that the travel office did not actually book accommodation or return tickets for them, leaving them stranded.
Hundreds of Deaths and Missing
This year’s Hajj saw an unprecedented crisis, with over a thousand deaths from heat exhaustion, including 658 Egyptians, 630 without Hajj permits, and 1,400 missing, according to AFP. Zawia3 reviewed a list of 323 deaths among visit visa holders, with 581 injured. The General Authority for Information reported 28 deaths from the official Egyptian Hajj delegation of 50,752 Egyptians.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior stated that there were no missing registered pilgrims (lottery, tourism, solidarity) within the official Egyptian Hajj portal system. Those missing had traveled for Hajj independently.
Families of the victims told Zawia3 that their missing loved ones were unauthorized pilgrims and were only discovered to be dead after days of searching. They expressed outrage that Saudi authorities buried them without notifying their families or allowing them to claim the bodies for burial in Egypt.
In response to the crisis, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi directed the formation of a crisis cell headed by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to manage and follow up on the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims. Madbouly announced coordination with Saudi authorities to facilitate the receipt of the deceased’s bodies and accurately count the victims and missing persons. However, the absence of registered data for unauthorized pilgrims with the medical mission complicated the government’s efforts. He vowed to punish those responsible for unauthorized travel.
Victims of Fraud
A Facebook page for “Dream Tourism” deceived Dr. Mohamed Saad from Beheira, now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj on a visit visa, into believing they would book his round-trip flight for 22,400 EGP. He reported to the Beheira Security Directorate after the company stalled and did not send the ticket, realizing he had been scammed.
“I found the page through a Facebook travel group, contacted them via WhatsApp, and transferred the amount to a bank account in the National Bank of Kuwait under Rami Ismail. Realizing it was a scam, I filed a report with the Cyber Crime Unit at the security directorate and proceeded with my Hajj trip, while my lawyer follows up on the case,” says Saad.
The fraud and deception by travel offices, fake entities, and Hajj and Umrah brokers were not limited to this Hajj season. Previously, victims were deceived into believing they were traveling for Umrah using transit visas through Saudi Arabia, paying huge sums only to discover they had been scammed.
Sarah Mokhtar was one of 30 people who joined a Facebook group for a four-day transit Umrah, where they met a broker named Shaimaa from Alexandria. She collected about three million EGP, promising transit visas, flight tickets, transportation, and hotel accommodations. However, on the agreed travel date, only four people traveled, left in harsh conditions without hotel or transportation arrangements.
Sarah, from Tahta, Sohag, tells Zawia3 how she was scammed by Shaimaa, who created fake testimonials through bogus social media accounts praising her. Sarah paid her 78,000 EGP for herself and relatives to perform Umrah, but Shaimaa only provided visas for four people and took part of the group to the airport in Ihram clothes, collecting additional money under the pretense of finalizing visas. When the flight bookings were canceled, they demanded refunds, leading to a police report.
Fifteen victims, including Sarah, filed a complaint on December 15 last year, case number 19161. Shaimaa was arrested and referred to the prosecutor, receiving a three-year sentence. She was released on bail pending appeal and remains at large, according to Sarah.
Shielding Brokers
Zawia3 tried to contact several Hajj and Umrah brokers, but most declined to respond, while some shut down their social media accounts amid accusations of involvement in this year’s Hajj disaster.
One broker, Mohamed Hassan from Wasta, Assiut, a self-employed Hajj and Umrah broker, claims he collects fees only after completing all visa and travel arrangements. He currently accompanies a group of visit visa pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, charging around 80,000 EGP for his services.
A relative of one of the victims directed us to Al-Hossam Labor Recruitment Office in Al-Mahalla Al-Kubra, Gharbia. When contacted, the office confirmed they provide one-year personal visit visas for 25,000 EGP and can book flights but are not responsible for Hajj or Umrah programs. They do not offer transit visas for Umrah and stated that visit visas are currently on hold.
Commenting on the prevalence of brokers, Shewikar Ibrahim, owner of Thuraya Travel, says brokers’ actions lead to accusations against legitimate travel companies. Brokers have operated in the sector for years due to a societal trust in locals over travel companies, causing people to cover up their mistakes.
Over time, some companies have started selling only visas. Recently, Saudi Arabia introduced various visit visas, including commercial, personal, and tourist visas, which were often rejected without reason. Last year, the kingdom eased requirements, allowing Saudis to sponsor five individuals with low-cost personal visit visas, leading many to perform Hajj using these visas.
She adds, “We warned clients about brokers. Saudi authorities turned a blind eye last year, stopping only a few to take fingerprints and allowing everyone else to perform Hajj. This encouraged brokers to extract visit visas for large numbers this year, but they didn’t provide transport. With the overwhelming numbers, insufficient services, and high temperatures, deaths occurred, while others were lost.”
Ibrahim explains the appeal of visit visas is their lower cost compared to legitimate Hajj, affected by the Egyptian pound’s devaluation, increased Saudi riyal value to 12 EGP, and the difficulty for travel companies to obtain foreign currency, forcing them to resort to the black market. This raised costs for Hajj and Umrah services, flight prices, and the Ministry of Tourism’s barcode fees, of which 90% go to the state and 10% to the tourism chamber.
According to the Egyptian Umrah Portal, Saudi visas requiring the portal’s barcode to exit Egyptian borders include personal and tourist visit visas, event visit visas, government visits for non-government officials, and host visit visas.
The cost of government-organized lottery Hajj in Egypt is 149,000 EGP (3105.65 $) without airfare, which ranges between 35,000 and 50,000 EGP. Hajj organized by social welfare associations ranges from 151,000 to 235,000 EGP excluding airfare.
Multiple Licensing Authorities
In a statement, the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism and Aviation Division attributed many Egyptians traveling for Hajj with unqualified visit visas to brokers in villages and hamlets, who have no relation to the official Hajj system, seeking profit and violating state laws, particularly the Egyptian Hajj Portal Law No. 84 of 2022.
Hossam El-Hellou, head of the Tourism and Aviation Division, clarifies that issuing a barcode for visit visas is not illegal unless organizing a Hajj trip outside the portal, which is a violation. Those found organizing Hajj trips with visit visas face penalties.
Asked about transit and event Umrah, El-Hellou states that organizing Umrah trips outside the Umrah portal is illegal, regardless of the type. Legal Hajj is organized by three entities in Egypt, all through a lottery: the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Social Solidarity, and travel companies.
The Chamber of Travel and Tourism Agencies denied any connection to unauthorized Hajj pilgrims and adheres to strict regulations by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, organizing Hajj only with legal Hajj visas. Violators face severe penalties. The chamber suffers from brokers, unlicensed entities, and fake companies, which endanger citizens’ lives.
Ayman Abdel Latif, a member of the Chamber of Travel and Tourism Agencies, holds some labor companies and travel offices under the Chamber of Commerce responsible for the recent Hajj crisis related to visit visas, accusing Saudi “Absher” and “Tassheel” companies and Saudi Airlines. He claims 75% of brokers belong to entities like mosques, clubs, and companies, treating Hajj and Umrah as commerce without accountability, blaming legitimate travel companies. He adds that 90% of travel companies are uninvolved in visit visas, while 10% have slipped into issuing barcodes for brokers illegally.
Latif reveals that 99% of the 2024 Hajj deaths and missing were on visit visas, with legitimate Hajj providing safety measures like accommodation, transportation, meals, and supervisors. The Ministry of Tourism had 51,000 Hajj visas and conducted a lottery for only 23,000, selling the rest for $5,000 each but only sold 2,000, returning the rest to Saudi Arabia instead of holding another lottery, creating a gap in legal Hajj.
He says Saudi Arabia, under Vision 2030, opened doors to 30 million tourists, offering transit, personal, tourist, business, and Schengen visas. However, most visitors come for Hajj and Umrah, as Saudi Arabia hosts the foremost Islamic religious sites. He calls for changing Ministry of Tourism laws that drive people to illegal Hajj and Umrah methods, such as banning previous pilgrims from lotteries, even after 20 years, and ending multiple licensing authorities like the Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Division, limiting it to the Ministry of Tourism to prevent overlap in Hajj and Umrah organization. The chamber has reported illegal Hajj and Umrah trips to the ministry, but the ministry claims no complaints were received. Authorities focused on collecting barcode fees from the Ministry of Tourism and Interior for 2,000 EGP, while brokers sold barcodes from some travel companies to Hajj and Umrah seekers illegally for up to 10,000 EGP.
Accountability for the Perpetrators
MP Ghada Agamy, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, told Zawia3 that she submitted an urgent request to hold companies issuing visit visas for Hajj accountable, violating Saudi laws and warnings, resulting in numerous Egyptian deaths from heat strokes. She demands revoking licenses and compensating victims and their families, praising the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah for burial permits and assisting the missing and injured.
Agamy calls for an urgent investigation by parliament and the foreign ministry to hold those responsible for the humanitarian tragedy accountable. She emphasizes the need to respect Saudi laws to avoid embarrassing Egypt or causing another disaster, urging against exploiting people’s desire for Hajj and risking their lives.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly ordered the revocation of 16 travel companies’ licenses for facilitating illegal Hajj travel and referring their officials to the public prosecutor. Meanwhile, Saudi authorities suspended issuing transit Umrah visas (B2C) for Egyptians.
While Hanaa regrets her ordeal and plans to file a formal complaint against those who misled her into believing that visit Hajj was safe and legal, she’s grateful her mother survived this year’s Hajj crisis. Mohamed and Sarah await justice against those who scammed them, while Anwar’s fate remains uncertain. Their suffering represents just a fraction of the victims of pilgrimage brokers, awaiting serious actions from Egyptian authorities to prevent another 2024 Hajj disaster.
