Interrogating the global rise in cost of Hajj

The astronomical increase in the cost of performing the 2023 hajj is giving the participating countries a serious cause for concern.

In Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Iran, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Ghana and Morocco, the story is the same – an astronomical increase in the 2023 hajj fare compared to what pilgrims from those countries paid during the 2022 hajj. Interestingly, seven of these countries belong to the top 10 with the largest number of pilgrims. 

The impact of the exchange rates in the computation of payment for hajj services using the US dollar is widening the gap in hajj fares – and it can only get higher. Many factors favour this position; exchange rates, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aviation market projection, and expansion of hajj businesses by both hajj participating countries and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  

For example, if an American Muslim living in California paid $7,500 for services associated with hajj in Saudi Arabia, a Nigerian Muslim living in Lagos will have to pay N3,453,600 for the same services at the exchange rate of N460 to one dollar – the cost of accommodation, air ticket, feeding, transportation within Saudi Arabia, services in Mashair and Basic Travelling Allowance. Pilgrims from Ghana will pay 91,947 Ghana cedi or 28,173.85 Saudi Riyal equivalent sum.

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Yes, because Nigerian pilgrims require N3,453,600 to purchase 7,500 US dollars (at the official rate) to pay for hajj services in Saudi Arabia.

However, a Nigerian Muslim could have paid N7,500 to perform hajj if the exchange rate of naira to a dollar stands at one dollar to one naira. It is as simple as you read it. That is the effect of the exchange rate in the computation of hajj fare.  

This year, the Singapore Hajj body announced an increase of $1,500 in hajj cost. The cheapest hajj package in Singapore for hajj 2023 is $8,490 (N3,909,475.) per person while the average package cost stands at around $14,150 (N6,515,480:70).

Ghana hajj fare in 2019 was $3,500, this year, Ghana Hajj Board announced $6,500 as hajj fare. 

The Pakistan government announced a 68 per cent increase in 2023 hajj fare and also allowed outsourcing the financing of half of the hajj quota to save $444 million due to a severe economic crunch. Fifty per cent of the 2023 hajj quota has been allocated to Pakistanis living abroad – meaning that they can perform hajj or sponsor someone living in the country by utilizing the quota. 

Interestingly, 50% of Pakistan pilgrims are to pay the 2023 Hajj fares in dollars. Intending pilgrims that paid in dollars would be exempted from the balloting –meaning that they will be given seats automatically.

In Indonesia, the government subsidizes hajj fare by 30 per cent while intending pilgrims pay the remaining 70 per cent. However, the country has announced a 26 per cent increase in 2023 hajj fare.

In 2022, the average regular hajj cost in Indonesia increased from Rp. 75 million or US$5,357 (2,466,673) to almost Rp. 100 million or US$7,142 (N3,288:591) per pilgrim.

story is the same in Jordan. The cost of hajj 2023 has been increased to 3,200 Jordanian dollars per pilgrim. Reacting to the increase, the head of the Religious Tourism Committee at the Association of Travel and Tourism Agents, Bilal Rubin, described the price as “insane”, according to a media report.

Rubin who attributed the hike to the prices of hotels in Madina and Makkah added that companies will reduce the number of their stay in Madina and will only pass through Madina during return trips as a quick measure to reduce the fare. 

Furthermore, a proposal to increase the distance of Jordanian pilgrims’ accommodation to Haram from about 200m to 250m to save JD700 from the cost of hajj this year has been presented to the Ministry of Awqaf by the Jordan Society of Travel and Tourism Agents. Desperate measures. 

Despite the closeness of Arab countries in terms of hours of flight, the cost of performing hajj across most of the countries has increased in comparison to previous years.

The average cost of performing hajj in Qatar is ($10,971), followed by the Emirates ($10,821) and Tunisia ($9,884), according to Al Jazeera report.

The lowest average prices among Arab countries to perform hajj are in Oman ($1,797), Jordan ($2,961) and Saudi Arabia ($3,198).

The increase, according to Al Jazeera, was due to global inflation, a rise in flight tickets and mandatory services needed for hajj, as well as the increase in VAT rates in Saudi Arabia –from 5% to 15 per cent. 

Admittedly, the hikes in 2023 hajj fare across all hajj participating countries will harm the number of pilgrims that will be travelling to Saudi Arabia for hajj this year.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 will be slowed down unless the trend is reversed. The low- and middle-income people who constitute over 70 per cent of hajj pilgrims will feel the heat.

In hajj cost, the jury is in and the only way is to reduce the dollarization of hajj service payments. All hajj participating countries collect hajj fares in their national currencies. However, those currencies will have to be converted to dollars for payment to Saudi-based hajj service providers and therein lies the first challenge.

Bangladesh is holding Biman liable for increasing its air tickets, Indonesia is blaming increased value-added taxes and cost of accommodations, Pakistan is blaming exchange rates specifically the dollar, India lays the blame on exchange rates, Ghana, Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, are crying out loud that the cost of hajj is climbing roof. 

Various hajj service-related agents in Saudi Arabia are now privately controlled. The Establishment of Mutawwif for pilgrims from African non-Arab countries, The General Car Syndicate, and The United Agents fix prices for their services with little or no room for negotiation from hajj participating countries.

As we anxiously wait for the 2023 hajj fare announcement from NAHCON, there is anxiety that the Nigeria hajj industry may not be immune from the effect of dollars and other variables that have jerked up 2023 hajj fare in virtually all hajj participating countries.

Muhammed is the national coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters