The fate of 254 companies and establishments providing Haj services to domestic pilgrims are still hanging in the balance after the Haj Ministry has delayed renewing their licenses, local daily Al-Watan reported yesterday quoting former chairman of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah Saad Jameel Al-Qurashi.

The ministry denied the charges and said the process of renewing licenses was on the right track and that the results would soon be announced.

Al-Qurashi recalled that last April the ministry invited all Haj and Umrah service providing companies to apply for renewal of licenses, stating a deadline of the end of May.

“More than three months have passed since then without the ministry announcing the names of the qualified companies and establishments, though the Haj is rapidly approaching,” he said.

“The ministry usually announces the names of the qualified companies and establishments this time of year, and specifies the locations for their camps in Mina and Arafat,” Al-Qurashi said.

He asked the ministry to expedite verification of the qualified companies so that they could start paying the bank guarantees to pilgrims at the rate of SR 400 each.

Official spokesman of the ministry Hatim Hassan Qadi denied the charges and said there was no delay in the procedures of renewing licenses, which were on the right track. “The names of the qualified companies will soon be announced,” he assured.

The ministry has a special committee to verify applications and to renew the licenses of the qualified companies. The committee also decides the number of pilgrims for each company.