Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 18-10-2016
The Anti-Visa Fee Committee SA (AVC SA) says while Umrah season is officially open it has raised concerns from the Muslim community to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) about the excessive visa costs being imposed by the Saudi Arabian government on pilgrims.
A delegation from AVC SA met senior officials of DIRCO which included the Chief Director for Gulf States Themba Rubushe, SA Acting Ambassdor to Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Abbas Khan and Consul-General Shoayb Casoo in Pretoria today.
The committee stressed that in addition to Hajj and Umrah, tourists and South Africans working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are also affected by the exorbitant visa fees.
Co-Chair of the committee Yusuf Abramjee says DIRCO indicated that it would discuss the excessive visa costs with its Saudi counterparts.
“We are delighted. We hope the Saudi Government will at this late stage review its decision.”
Abramjee also says the Umrah season has officially opened.
“The system now requires a fee of SR2000 in addition to a SR450 MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) fee if one has visited the Kingdom in the last three years.
Abramjee says they are not advocating a Hajj/Umrah boycott and while travel agents are making bookings people are free to make an individual decision as to whether they are happy to pay the fee and travel.
He reiterated that hundreds of millions of rands will leave the SA fiscal annually as a result of the new visa fee increase.
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