Blow over Hajj registration system failures

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain's newly introduced Hajj registration system has faced criticism for disrupting long-standing campaigns, some of which have been operating for over 80 years. Five MPs are now calling for a parliamentary investigation to scrutinize the system’s rollout and address complaints of technical failures and a lack of fairness.

The MPs requesting the inquiry—Mohammed Al Olaiwi, Zainab AbdulAmeer, Abdulwahid Qarata, Hamad Al Doy, and Hanan Fardan—have highlighted flaws in the system’s introduction, claiming it caused widespread confusion among Hajj contractors and pilgrims alike.

The request for the inquiry calls for a thorough examination of how the system was planned, implemented, and managed. Campaign organizers have expressed frustration with the platform’s technical issues. According to the explanatory memorandum, the registration system crashed during its first hours of operation, and the electronic key required for access was deactivated on the opening day.

The platform reportedly went offline again at 9 a.m., reopening late at night without prior notice to organizers or registrants.

The request also raises concerns about transparency. Hajj contractors were allegedly unable to see how many registrants had been allocated to their campaigns, while discrepancies were found between the official registration records and applications submitted by pilgrims.

Adding to the frustration, the filtering results were published 12 days before the registration window closed, leading to what organizers described as misleading promotional efforts that damaged the reputations of campaigns with decades of service.