Egypt Revokes Licenses of 16 Travel Companies for Irregular Pilgrim Arrangements

On Saturday, Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly chaired a crisis cell meeting, established by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to address the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims.

The meeting included key officials: Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, Minister of Religious Endowments; Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population; Mahmoud Tawfik, Minister of Interior; Nevine El-Kabbaj, Minister of Social Solidarity; Mohamed Abbas Helmy, Minister of Civil Aviation (via video conference); Ahmed Issa, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities; Ismail Khairat, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad; Major General Ahmed Shahin, representing the Armed Forces Moral Affairs Department; and Major General Hossam Abu Al-Magd, representing the Armed Forces Operations Authority.

During the talks, Madbouly expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased pilgrims, reaffirming the government's commitment to providing necessary support during this difficult time.

The Prime Minister explained that the crisis cell meeting aims to monitor the conditions of Egyptian pilgrims, support the families of the deceased, and coordinate with Saudi authorities to facilitate the repatriation of the deceased's bodies and other necessary arrangements. Additionally, the meeting sought to analyze the causes of the incident and prevent its recurrence.

 Madbouly ordered immediate actions against travel companies or entities that facilitated irregular pilgrimages, establishing frameworks to prevent such occurrences in the future.

The Prime Minister noted that the official Egyptian pilgrimage delegation includes over 50,000 pilgrims, with continuous monitoring of their conditions by responsible authorities. He emphasized that no official records exist for irregular pilgrims in the relevant ministries, consulates, or the medical mission, complicating tracking efforts.

He also confirmed that the official pilgrimage delegation is highly organized, with a comprehensive monitoring system from various state agencies. So far, 31 deaths have been recorded within the official delegation due to chronic illnesses.

On his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry noted that most of the deceased pilgrims were irregular pilgrims who did not receive any services from the travel companies that arranged their trips.

 He highlighted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' efforts to monitor the conditions of Egyptian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, with the Egyptian consulate in Jeddah and multiple task forces coordinating with Saudi authorities.

These teams conduct field visits to hospitals to verify the status of Egyptian nationals, ensure proper care for those receiving treatment, and match records of the deceased with reports from their families.