Pilgrims gather around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during the Hajj pilgrimage
Iraq warns against ‘commercial Hajj’ pilgrimage scams, stresses official coordination
BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Higher Committee for Hajj and Umrah reiterated Saturday that “commercial Hajj” does not exist and warned citizens against falling victim to fraudulent operations by unauthorized companies and individuals.
“With every Hajj season, we monitor the emergence of fraudulent operations by fake companies and individuals claiming the existence of commercial Hajj,” the committee said in a statement.
Participation in the Hajj pilgrimage is regulated through a quota system, with a set number of individuals selected annually. Those not selected often face years of waiting. As Hajj is a fundamental pillar of Islam and a religious obligation for those who are able, many individuals turn to unofficial channels to fulfill the duty.
The unofficial route was typically that several months before the Hajj season, they obtain one-year visitor visas to Saudi Arabia and later use these visas to join the pilgrimage. Saudi authorities consider this practice a violation, as the country organizes the Hajj with a strict system designed to manage the participation of millions of pilgrims each year.
The committee emphasized it is the only official body in Iraq authorized to coordinate directly with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for issuing permits and visas for Iraqi pilgrims. “No person can perform Hajj without an official permit,” it stated, adding that Iraq’s Hajj seats are distributed exclusively through the committee via an electronic lottery system.
Saudi Arabia sets annual Hajj quotas or seats based on each country’s Muslim population, typically allotting 1,000 pilgrims per million Muslims. Nations negotiate quotas yearly, adjusted for special circumstances such as health crises or political considerations. Iraq’s recent annual quota has ranged from 34,000 to 40,000 pilgrims, allocated proportionally among governorates, including the Kurdistan Region.
The statement urged citizens to be cautious and avoid scams carried out by “unscrupulous individuals whose main goal is often to steal citizens’ money.”
The warning follows a deadly 2024 Hajj season, during which more than 1,300 pilgrims died — 83% of them unauthorized pilgrims lacking official Hajj permits. Many had entered Saudi Arabia on tourist visas, missing access to critical services such as air-conditioned housing and organized transportation, leaving them vulnerable to extreme heat.
The Kurdistan Region was particularly affected. Reports indicate that 25 Kurdish pilgrims died during the Hajj last year, most of whom traveled under one-year Saudi visas arranged outside official Kurdistan Regional Government channels. In response, the KRG’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs suspended more than 90 travel agents for facilitating unauthorized pilgrimages.