The Central Bank of Syria has issued a directive requiring those in regime-controlled areas wishing to perform Hajj to pay their fees in foreign currency.
According to Decision No. 482/LSE released on Tuesday, pilgrims must “pay the revenues of services resulting from Hajj in cash in foreign currency.”
Payments should be made “into the account designated by the ministry for this purpose at Baraka Bank Syria across all branches,” added the directive.
The regime’s Minister of Awqaf, Abdul Sattar al-Sayed, disclosed on Tuesday that 17,500 pilgrims from regime-controlled areas have been accepted for Hajj. This announcement follows the application of over 50,000 people through the electronic platform set up by the Ministry of Interior.
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Sayed noted that applicants born in 1957 or earlier, meaning those aged 67 and older, were accepted along with their companions, regardless of the companions’ ages.
The semi-official newspaper Al-Watan reported on Tuesday that the cost of performing Hajj ranges from 85 million to 200 million Syrian pounds (approximately $5,900 to $13,900 USD). These costs vary depending on the choice of accommodation and cover all round-trip expenses, as stated by a travel agency owner specializing in Hajj and Umrah services.
The price is substantially higher than what many citizens in regime-controlled areas can afford, especially when compared to the prices set by the Supreme Hajj Committee of the opposition coalition, which caps at $5,200.
In contrast, the Supreme Hajj Committee has established the cost of Hajj at $4,600 for pilgrims in northern Syria and the Reyhanli and Gaziantep areas; $4,800 in Istanbul and Erbil; and $5,200 in Qatar.
Following the restoration of relations between Saudi Arabia and the Assad regime last year, Bashar al-Assad has met twice with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and initiated discussions about transferring the Hajj management from the Syrian opposition to his regime.
Despite these discussions, Saudi Arabia has maintained a separate Hajj quota for the Supreme Hajj Committee, catering to Syrian pilgrims in northern Syria, Turkey, Erbil, and Qatar, allotting them a quota of 5,200 pilgrims, while the regime’s quota stands at about 17,500.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
