JEDDAH, 17 January 2005 — The change in the date of the Standing on Mount Arafat, the climax of the Haj, has created confusion among airlines as well as local Haj agents.
Both have consequently had to amend their travel and service plans. The day has been moved from Jan. 20 as originally planned and will now take place on Jan. 19.
As soon as the announcement of the change was made, people rushed to alter their travel plans, fearing any delay would make them miss the Haj.
Haj service companies including airlines and domestic agents were forced to cancel some of their reservations after finding themselves unable to ensure that their customers would arrive in Makkah on time.
The changing of the date has also affected the delivery of food and other supplies, forcing some companies to amend their schedules in order to ensure that supplies reach the holy sites as required.
On Friday, the Supreme Judicial Council announced that Jan. 19 (Wednesday) would be Arafat Waqfa Day, and Jan. 20 (Thursday) would be the first day of Eid Al-Adha. This is a day earlier than was previously announced.
Local Haj agents responsible for escorting pilgrims for Haj said the change had resulted in some difficulties since all the Haj agents depend upon the official Umm Al-Qura calendar which does not necessarily coincide with the beginning and end of the lunar months determined by sighting of the new moon.
“Many local Haj agents have had to reschedule reservations with other Haj service companies for transporting and accommodating pilgrims. Others who earlier made contingency plans did not feel the pressure,” said one local agent in Jeddah.
King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah handles about 60 percent of Haj traffic and the huge Haj Terminal is busy round the clock throughout arrival and departure days. Large numbers of foreign pilgrims arrive by ship while others come by land from neighboring countries.
Some domestic pilgrims from within the Kingdom had their reservations canceled since they could not travel to Jeddah in time for Haj. They were originally scheduled to arrive in Jeddah on Dul Hijjah 6 and 7 (Jan. 16 and 17) in order to be able to proceed to Makkah and arrive in Mina on Dul Hijjah 8. This was all based on the earlier date that fixed the Standing on Arafat on Jan. 20.
Saudi Arabian Airlines said immediately after the new announcement by the Supreme Judiciary Council that it had prepared contingency plans and rescheduled flights to ensure its pilgrims arrived on time.
All airlines were forced to move reservations forward to meet their obligations to their passengers. Some local Haj agents in cities other than Jeddah said the pilgrims who fail to arrive at their offices on Monday, Dul Hijjah 7 for the journey to Makkah, may not be eligible for refunds unless they have a valid and convincing reason for the delay.
