Nigerian women may be allowed to perform Hajj without a male guardian, it was learnt. The Saudi Arabian government is studying various visa options.
Women perform pilgrimages with a mahram (male guardian), or are met by him on arrival in Saudi Arabia, although women over the age of 45 may travel without a mahram, if they are in an organised tour group.
If women travel with a group and without a mahram, they must submit a notarised letter of no objection from someone considered their mahram, authorising travel with the group.
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But the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is conducting studies to issue visit visas for both tourism and Umrah, which may favour women to come without a mahram.
Umrah firms have raised concerns about the impact of regulation. They warned that 200 companies would leave if the authorities do not step in.
Saudi Arabia’s Head of the National Committee for Hajj and Umrah Marwan Abbas Shaban said each Umrah company should have two branches, employ 20 workers and spend SR1 million ($266,666) annually even if it did not get a single pilgrim.
Many firms are small and could not bear such costs, he added.
“We always seek officials to interact with us and we call on authorities to consider our demands,” Shaban told Arab News.
Shaban said there were about 750 Umrah and Hajj companies with licences, but only about 500 were in the market and they were only running at one per cent of their capacity.