Yemen.. The Tourism Union welcomes the government directives regarding reforming the Ministry of Endowments and reveals a number of imbalances that accompanied the last Hajj season

The Yemeni Tourism Federation welcomed the directives of the Prime Minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, which stipulated a review of the work of the Ministry of Endowments and Guidance since 2015 AD, and his directives to fight corruption and enhance the principle of financial and administrative transparency, revealing a number of imbalances that accompanied the past Hajj season.

This came in a statement commenting on the meeting held by the Prime Minister, last Tuesday, with the Ministers of Endowments and Finance and a number of leaders of the two ministries.

The Union appreciated the efforts and directives of the Prime Minister to give pilgrims and Umrah performers full care and attention and address the imbalances and shortcomings that accompanied the past Hajj season, as well as improving and developing Umrah work and services.

Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak directed a detailed review of all aspects of work in the Ministry of Endowments and Guidance since 2015 AD, and to address any imbalances in the administrative and financial aspects, in a way that enhances its role in performing the tasks assigned to it in an optimal manner, and serving citizens in particular. In the Hajj and Umrah sector.

Bin Mubarak stressed the importance of taking serious, transparent and responsible positions in confronting all cases and suspicions of corruption, within the framework of the government’s approach to enhancing transparency, accountability and reforming institutions, stressing that financial compliance procedures are applied to all ministries, institutions and government agencies without exception with the support of the Presidential Leadership Council, and will not be implemented. Negligence in that.

He also directed us to identify the mistakes that accompanied previous Hajj seasons and prepare for the next season to ensure the provision of the best services to Yemeni pilgrims, and to listen to complaints and observations and deal with them positively.

Financial corruption

In mid-July, “Yemen Shabab Net” obtained documents issued by the Ministry of Finance revealing serious financial violations of the Ministry of Endowments and Guidance, specifically the Hajj and Umrah sector, and the Ministry’s rebellion against the Ministry of Finance’s correspondence with it during an entire year.

The documents showed that there was no operating budget for the Hajj and Umrah sector for four years in a row from 2021 to 2024 AD, and that it did not submit financial reports for the same years, in addition to its violation of opening bank accounts in private banks (Al-Qutaybi Bank), and its persistence in opening a third account in the same bank, to In addition, the Ministry of Endowments does not commit to submitting a spending plan for the mission’s operational expenses.

According to a letter from the Ministry of Finance issued on June 11, 2024 AD, the Ministry of Endowments disbursed and transferred cash amounts from its two current accounts in the amount of more than (337) million Saudi riyals without adhering to the controls and procedures regulating this and the Ministry of Finance’s approval of the withdrawals.

The document also revealed that the Ministry of Endowments requested an amount of two million Saudi riyals from the Ministry of Finance as operational expenses for the Hajj sector without submitting a spending plan or budget to disburse that amount, which prompted the Ministry of Finance to apologize for allowing the disbursement for the aforementioned reasons.

Imbalances accompanying the Hajj season

 In its annual report on the last Hajj season, the Yemeni Tourism Federation revealed major failures that accompanied the work of the Ministry of Endowments and Guidance for the past season, starting with registration, through issuing visas, choosing housing, and the camping and transportation phase.

In the report that Yemen Shabab Net reviewed, the Union summarized a number of problems facing pilgrims during the 1445 AH season, which it said was “the worst in 20 years,” holding the ministry responsible.

Among those problems listed in the report are (power outages, a shortage of cold water, the breakdown of a large number of air conditioners, a shortage of designated space in the Mina and Arafat camps, which caused some pilgrims to be deprived of sleeping or sitting in the camps, a shortage of toilets, and the deprivation of a large number of... Pilgrims are prevented from moving between the Holy Places via buses that they paid for in advance, and the Ministry does not oblige these companies to compensate the pilgrims, and does not transport pilgrims on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah from Mecca to Mina, as agencies used to do in past years, out of special consideration for the elderly and families), in addition to the problems. Which confronted pilgrims returning via Yemeni Airlines after the Houthis seized the planes at Sanaa airport.

Recommendations

At the end of the report, the Federation listed a number of recommendations that it said it believed would contribute to improving performance and eliminating the imbalances and failures that accompanied this season, which are as follows:

▪ Establishing an independent body that organizes, supervises and manages the work of Hajj and Umrah (the Supreme Authority for Hajj and Umrah), which will be independent and affiliated with the Council of Ministers, as is the case in some Arab countries, and with an independent and qualified staff in coordination with the relevant government agencies and the private sector.

▪ Preventing the politicization of Hajj and Umrah activities in any form and under any pretext and keeping them away from regional conflicts.

▪ Activating the role of the Oversight and Accounting Authority to carry out its oversight duty over the Hajj and Umrah sector.

▪ Canceling the contract concluded with the Guests of the House Company due to the numerous failures that were witnessed by all the pilgrims, as well as the Minister of Endowments himself during his meeting with the pilgrims.

▪ Obligating the Ministry of Endowments to immediately pay compensation for services in which failures and deficiencies occurred based on the minister’s promises.