Saudi Arabia announced the suspension of B2C e-visas for Egyptian citizens wishing to perform the Umrah pilgrimage following the tragic deaths of over 1,300 people during the recent Hajj pilgrimage due to extreme heat.

Also Read: Hundreds of brokers arrested over deaths of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

Basil Al-Sisi from the Egyptian Travel Agents Association (ETTA) confirmed Saudi Arabia’s announcement.

Sisi clarified to Al-Masry Al-Youm that the B2C visa had been paused.

He emphasized that Egyptians could still perform Umrah by booking through an official travel agent in Egypt.

“B2C visa allows its holder to enter the system, obtain the visa, and travel without a trip organizer, which is unacceptable after the Hajj crisis,” Sisi explained.

The recent heatwave during Hajj, where temperatures soared to a record 51.8°C, led to the worst heat-related disaster in 40 years.

A recent Saudi study found that temperatures in areas where Hajj rituals are performed are rising by 0.4°C each decade.

According to Saudi authorities, 83 percent of those who died were unauthorized pilgrims who had walked long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter.

Egyptians were particularly affected, with 658 deaths, of which 630 were unregistered pilgrims, as reported by AFP citing an Egyptian diplomat.

Additionally, reports from the Middle East Eye (MEE) indicate that both registered and unregistered pilgrims faced inadequate facilities during Hajj, including being denied access to buses and ambulances.

Following the Hajj incident, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that 16 tourism companies had their licenses revoked for allegedly authorizing irregular Hajj pilgrimages.

Also Read: Egypt cracks down on 16 tourism companies for illegal Hajj travel

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Saudi authorities to implement more robust heat protection measures, emphasizing the need to safeguard pilgrims as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan, which aims to increase the annual number of religious pilgrims to 30 million from the current 8 million.