The head of the Hajj and Umrah Affairs Authority, Judge Muhammad Al-Makkawi, issued a decision to continue preventing land transportation for Hajj and Umrah campaigns, and restricting the travel of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims by air through Rafic Hariri International Airport, as it is the obligatory approved route for departure from Lebanon.
The decision came, according to the Authority, out of concern for the safety of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims, and based on the applicable decisions and regulations that regulate the work of the Authority and the mechanisms for transporting pilgrims and Umrah performers from Lebanese territories to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The first article stipulates that land transportation for Hajj and Umrah campaigns will continue to be prohibited, provided that air transportation through Rafic Hariri International Airport remains the mandatory approved route for transporting pilgrims and Umrah performers.
The Authority also stressed the prohibition of any company or entity from organizing campaigns or publishing advertisements for Hajj or Umrah trips by land through social media or audio-visual media, under penalty of taking appropriate legal measures.
The decision requested that the security services be informed of its content to take the necessary measures, provided that it takes effect immediately upon its issuance and is reported to the relevant authorities.
The decision is based, among other texts, on a decision issued by the Prime Minister on May 28, 2012, restricting the travel of pilgrims by air, and a decision dating back to November 17, 1995, prohibiting the transfer of pilgrims from Lebanese territory to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by land and restricting their movement by air.
The emphasis on restricting air travel comes in the wake of the tragic accident involving a bus carrying Lebanese on a land trip related to Umrah, during its route through Syria and Jordan, which brought to the fore the risks associated with long land trips transporting pilgrims and Umrah performers.
The accident sparked widespread interest in Lebanon due to the casualties and injuries, and raised questions about the organization of land trips, responsibility for transporting passengers, and the extent of companies and regulators’ commitment to official decisions restricting the transportation of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims by air.
The land route between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia acquires special sensitivity, as it requires passing through Syrian and Jordanian lands before reaching the Kingdom, which means traveling long distances and traveling through more than one country and crossing, in addition to the risks associated with traffic and accidents on international roads.
Hence, the recent decision reaffirms that land trips are not an approved route by the Hajj and Umrah Affairs Authority, and that the official transfer of pilgrims and Umrah must take place exclusively through Rafic Hariri International Airport.
The decision also carries a direct message to companies and entities that may promote land trips under the title of Hajj or Umrah, as it was not limited to prohibiting their organization, but also included prohibiting advertising them through social networking sites and the media, while threatening to take legal measures against violators.
Thus, the authority’s decision comes to reinstall the rules that have been in place for years regarding the transportation of pilgrims and Umrah performers, coinciding with the return of the land trip safety issue to the forefront after the recent accident on the Syria-Jordan line.
