Tourism Ministry Warns Building Owners in Makkah and Madinah Against Unlicensed Pilgrim Accommodation

The Ministry of Tourism emphasized that building owners in Makkah and Madinah must comply with regulations prohibiting the operation of any tourist hospitality activity without a license. It also stressed that buildings licensed by the ministry as temporary accommodation facilities for pilgrims may only operate during the Hajj season.

 This emphasis is part of the ministry’s efforts to regulate the hospitality sector, specifically housing pilgrims, and enhance the quality of hospitality services provided in preparation for the upcoming Hajj season.

 The ministry has worked to organize the pilgrims’ accommodation sector by introducing a service to issue temporary accommodation facility licenses to building owners in Makkah and Madinah. It has also launched a service enabling tourist hospitality facilities to increase their accommodation capacity during the Hajj season in accordance with regulations approved by the ministry. These services are limited exclusively to the Hajj season.

 These services have increased the hospitality sector’s accommodation capacity in Makkah and Madinah, enhanced the sector’s readiness to receive pilgrims, and provided regulated facilities that offer quality accommodation services.

 The ministry announced that the penalty for operating a tourist hospitality activity without a license can reach up to SAR1 million. It also noted that holders of temporary lodging licenses who operate before the Hajj season will be considered in violation of licensing requirements and will be subject to fines of up to SAR1 million, in addition to the cancellation of the temporary lodging license.