Hajj Refunds – Pilgrims Contacted by Ministry of Hajj with Refunds

Pilgrims Contacted by Ministry of Hajj with Refund

Pilgrims who took part in Hajj 1443 (2022) through the much maligned Motawif system have been contacted in recent weeks by representatives from the Ministry of Hajj apologising for issues encountered and offers of partial refunds.

Hajj refunds

These refund offer amounts vary and are expected to be based on the changes made to a pilgrim’s package after they had paid, whilst it is also understood that a flat percentage of approximately 5% is being offered to all Pilgrims who booked their Hajj pilgrimage through Motawif.

Last year thousands of Pilgrims from the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia were forced to purchase their Hajj packages via Motawif and encountered problems from package details changing, hotels not being booked, and various logistical issues on the ground which did not meet the high standard or promises made by Motawif when advertising their Hajj booking system.

Pilgrims receiving emails and phone calls

Pilgrims are receiving emails and also phone calls from foreign numbers, asking them to confirm their details and offering a refund amount.

If you travelled for Hajj last year and booked through Motawif, then you can expect a phone call to the number provided on your application, and during the call, the representative will confirm your traveller details and ask you to confirm the last 4 digits of your bank card which you used to purchase your package. You can then expect to be told that the refund offered can take between 21-45 days to process upon your acceptance of the offer.

It is unclear whether any Pilgrims who have accepted this offer have yet received the refund amount. Emails seem to be coming from the following  addresspilgrimcare@haj.gov.sa and some people have mentioned receiving calls from the following telephone numbers:

• +1 405 347 3208
• +44 330 001 3519
• +44 330 001 3218
• +44 330 001 3337

These reports are hoped by many to be a genuine and sincere attempt at resolving the issues Pilgrims faced last year and many are hopeful that the lessons learned can be used to improve the experience for Pilgrims for Hajj this year.

Disclaimer: This post presents research done by Pilgrim and we cannot verify 100% as nothing official has been said by Motawif.