Saudi Arabia introduces mandatory food vouchers for Umrah pilgrims

Saudi Arabia has introduced mandatory digital food vouchers for Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Egypt, with the cost to be included in the overall Umrah visa fee.

Under the new policy, which will take effect from 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal, each pilgrim will receive food vouchers worth approximately 20 Saudi riyals per day through the Nusuk platform.

As part of the initiative, Saudi authorities have integrated hotel bookings, transportation, meals and other Umrah-related services into a single digital system. Around 10,000 restaurants in Makkah and Madinah have been linked to the Nusuk app to provide meals to pilgrims.

Each pilgrim will be issued a unique code linked to their Umrah visa, which can be used to redeem meals at participating restaurants.

According to reports, the initiative aims to standardise food services for Umrah pilgrims, curb the use of unregistered service providers and further improve arrangements for visitors.

The policy is also expected to increase the overall cost of Umrah packages, prompting travel operators in Pakistan and other affected countries to revise their package prices.