Government | Friday 5 August, 2016 7:57 am |

The Ministry of Haj and Umrah today launched its portal for local pilgrims to register for their participation in this year’s Haj.
Citizens and residents intending to perform Haj can access the e-portal to choose local Haj companies on http://localhaj.Haj.gov.sa
There are 77 Haj operators among the 200 companies working to serve pilgrims.
The ministry has also advised people to deal only with registered companies. It has come out with three packages ranging from SR3,000 to SR11,980. They are SR5,892-11,890, SR3,000-5,250, and the most economical fare (Moyassur) SR3,000.
The e-portal gives complete details of Haj operators, their locations in Makkah and the holy sites and the services they provide. 
Once a package and the city are selected, the visitor to the site will be redirected to a form which will ask the number of male and female pilgrims.
Based on the selected city, a list of Haj companies will appear with details like camp code, camp category, distance to Jamarat, transportation arrangements, accommodations and food, etc. Visitors can also check all services and rates in the Haj package by clicking “Details” below every Haj operator.
Once a visitor to the site clicks on “Book,” he will be asked to enter details such as mobile number, e-mail address, name, nationality, iqama details, gender and date of birth. The package can be booked by clicking on the “Submit” button.
If a visitor to the site has not performed Haj in the last five years, he will get a text message, asking to deposit the Haj fee in the ministry’s bank account. Once all the above procedures are completed, a text message will be received containing the contract number and date, and the SADAD details. The contract can be printed out by feeding the code into the portal.
With the printout of the contract, the domestic pilgrim should visit the Haj company with required documents like ID, passport-size photos, vaccination certificate, blood group certificate to collect the Haj permit.
Vaccination against meningitis is mandatory for local as well as foreign pilgrims. The vaccination should be given 10 days before departure and it is valid only for a period of three years.