Lower costs, more first-time pilgrims

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Justice Minister, His Excellency Nawaf Al Maawda, defended the new electronic Hajj registration system, saying it had lowered pilgrimage costs and allowed more firsttime pilgrims to participate, even as campaign operators criticised its rollout.

“The new registration system reduced pilgrimage expenses by between 400 and 1,000 dinars, enabling many Bahrainis who have waited years to perform Hajj for the first time,” said Al Maawda.

Issues

He acknowledged initial technical issues, explaining, “We experienced heavy demand — 6,000 registrations within the first three hours alone — which temporarily overwhelmed the system. Our teams quickly resolved these issues, extending the registration until a total of 14,000 Bahrainis were accommodated.”

However, some Hajj campaign operators argued the system was implemented without adequate consultation.

They claimed critical issues emerged immediately, including the unexpected disabling of the essential e-key on the launch day and sudden technical crashes.‘

Demand

The Minister acknowledged these initial technical problems but insisted they arose due to overwhelming demand rather than poor planning.

He added, “Our priority remains the pilgrims themselves, not the commercial interests of the campaigns. Each year some operators will succeed while others may struggle; this is the nature of competition.”

MP Mohammed Al Ahmed supported the government‘s reforms, describing the initiative as “positive” for promoting competition and driving down costs.

Improvements

In contrast, MP Hanan Fardan emphasised that further improvements were needed.

“Prices remain burdensome for many citizens,” she said. “We must introduce targeted financial support and ensure the registration process becomes simpler and more accessible.”

Al Maawda reassured MPs that the registration process would be continuously reviewed and adjusted each year, reiterating the government‘s intention to ensure affordability and ease for Bahraini pilgrims.