Religious Affairs Ministry cuts Hajj costs from $5,230 to $4,484, Daalo Airlines wins flights bid in open and fair competition

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Ministery of Endownments and Religious Affairs has set the cost of Hajj at $4,484 down from $5,230, a major reprieve for pilgrims who have severally complained of over-exploitation in the past five Hajj occassions.
A committee set up by the Minister of Religious Affairs Mukhtar Robow on March 6 submitted its findings to Prime Minister Hamze Barre who released the report on Tuesday. The Committee which comprised of officials from the Ministries of Religious Affairs and representatives from Hajj service providers resolved to reduce the cost of Hajj by $746 in open and transparent procedures.
In the second phase, the committee also selected 75 travel agencies to oversee the Hajj travel services. This followed a public bidding which attracted 356 companies. A delegation led by Robow and composed of members from the Justice and Endowment Committee of the Lower House, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Associations of Hajj Companies visited Saudi Arabia on April 7 where they further collected more information relating to Hajj costs.
On the flights, the committee awarded Daalo Airlines, the biggest and number one airlines company in Somalia, the right to transport pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia. Daalo beat nine other airlines to emerge the winner in the bidding process.
The report now settles the long-running disputes and confusion which have characterised the Hajj costs. Somalis have complained that travel companies were exploiting them.
Somalia is allocated 11,500 Hajj slots. Based on the pricing before the current review, Hajj services providers raked in $60,145,000.