Saudi Arabia has decided to include a mandatory daily catering fee in the Umrah visa charges, with the new policy initially applying to pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Egypt, 24NewsHD TV reported.
According to international media reports, each Umrah pilgrim will be charged approximately 20 Saudi riyals per day under the Nusuk Meal Voucher programme.
Instead of being collected separately, the amount will be added directly to the Umrah visa fee, similar to the mandatory transportation charges already integrated into the Nusuk platform.
The new policy will come into effect from 1 Rabi' al-Awwal.
Under the programme, more than 10,000 restaurants are being integrated with the Nusuk app to provide approved meal services to pilgrims during their stay in the Kingdom.
According to the new system, every Umrah pilgrim will receive a unique BRN meal code before the visa is issued.
The code will be linked to the pilgrim's visa and can be used to obtain meals from registered restaurants through the Nusuk platform.
The value of the meal voucher will be calculated according to the duration of the pilgrim's stay and verified before the visa is issued.
Saudi authorities said the programme will initially be implemented for pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Egypt, before being expanded to other countries in later phases.
Following the introduction of the policy, Umrah travel agencies will be required to include the new catering cost in their travel packages and ensure that their catering partners are registered on the Nusuk platform.
Officials warned that failure to comply with the new requirements could result in delays or difficulties in the issuance of Umrah visas.