Web Desk: Saudi Arabia has introduced a mandatory food voucher for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan and several other countries, a move expected to increase the overall cost of pilgrimage packages while standardising meal services through its digital Nusuk platform.
The new policy will apply to pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Egypt and is scheduled to take effect from 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal, according to details released by Saudi authorities.
Under the revised system, every Umrah pilgrim will be required to purchase a “Nusuk Food Voucher” as part of the visa application process. The voucher fee, estimated at around 20 Saudi riyals per day, will be automatically incorporated into the overall visa cost.
As a result, travel operators are reviewing package prices to account for the additional expense, which is expected to increase the cost of Umrah for pilgrims travelling from the affected countries.
The initiative forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to digitise Umrah services through the Nusuk platform, which already integrates accommodation, transportation and other pilgrimage-related facilities.
Authorities have also connected approximately 10,000 registered restaurants in Makkah and Madinah to the platform. Pilgrims will receive a unique digital code with their visa, enabling them to obtain meals from participating restaurants that meet approved service standards.
Saudi officials said the mandatory voucher programme is intended to ensure pilgrims have access to safe, hygienic and standardised food services throughout their stay.
The measure is also designed to curb the use of unregistered catering providers while enhancing the overall pilgrimage experience through a regulated digital system.
Travel agencies in Pakistan and other affected markets have begun reassessing Umrah package pricing ahead of the policy’s implementation.
While the new requirement is expected to increase travel expenses, industry participants said the integrated system could simplify logistics and provide pilgrims with more reliable access to approved meal services during their pilgrimage.
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