DR ‹ › Ahmed Toufiq, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, announced a reduction in Hajj fees for the 1446 Hijri season compared to last year. Speaking during an oral question session at the House of Councillors on Tuesday, January 6, in response to a query from the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), he said the decrease amounts to approximately 3,095 dirhams per pilgrim. The minister underscored the central role of the Royal Commission for Hajj, which oversees, guides, and supervises the pilgrimage season in coordination with an interministerial committee tasked with controlling and rationalizing costs both in Morocco and in Saudi Arabia. For the current season, the Royal Commission initially set a provisional budget of 65,000 dirhams. Following a series of optimization measures, the final cost was set at 63,770.50 dirhams, down from 66,865 dirhams last year. Toufiq explained that Hajj expenses cover several components, including airfare, accommodation in Mecca and Medina, meals (breakfast and lunch) throughout the pilgrimage, transportation between cities and holy sites, baggage handling, as well as essential and additional logistical and administrative services. Insurance and visa fees are also included. He added that costs are further influenced by the 15% value-added tax (VAT) imposed by Saudi authorities, regulatory fees, and service commissions collected by Al Barid Bank. The exchange rate applied to transactions, which is set annually by Bank Al-Maghrib, also plays a key role in determining the overall cost. The minister praised early coordination with Bank Al-Maghrib for the 1446 AH Hajj season, which secured a preferential exchange rate of 2.6118 dirhams per Saudi riyal. This rate, lower than that of the previous season, significantly contributed to the overall reduction in pilgrimage costs.
