Hajj 2027: Reforms raise cost of pilgrimage
By Hajji Yunous Ntale
The cost of performing Hajj is expected to rise next year after Saudi Arabia introduced sweeping reforms to its pilgrimage arrangements, including scrapping the popular Class D package that has long been the preferred option for many Ugandan pilgrims.
The changes were announced on July 15 as the Uganda Bureau of Hajj Affairs (UBHA) unveiled the 2027 Hajj roadmap and urged all Hajj and Umrah operators to strictly comply with the new guidelines issued by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Speaking during the launch of the roadmap at the bureau’s offices at Mackay Plaza in Kampala, UBHA chairperson, Sheikh Zakaliya Kyewalyanga said the reforms would significantly alter preparations for the annual pilgrimage.
“Saudi has abolished Class D, which the majority of Ugandan pilgrims have been accustomed to. It has now introduced three categories—Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. This new classification is expected to increase the cost of performing Hajj,” Kyewalyanga said.
Previously, Ugandan pilgrims paid between $4,500 and $6,000 but with the new arrangement, the fares will inevitably shoot up.
Kyewalyanga also announced that Saudi authorities had introduced a comprehensive booking system under which accommodation and pilgrimage services would be secured simultaneously.
“Unlike before, when hotel accommodation, Mina and Arafat bookings were processed separately, all these services will now be confirmed under one comprehensive package,” he said.
According to the roadmap, UBHA will begin receiving pilgrims’ passports on August 10, ahead of the commencement of data entry into the Nusuk portal on August 14.
On payment timelines, Kyewalyanga said pilgrims would be required to make an initial payment of at least $2,000 by November, with the balance to be cleared by December 2026.
“We expect every intending pilgrim to have paid at least US$2,000 by November. The full payment should be completed in December so that UBHA can remit the funds to the Saudi Ministry by December 24 to secure the comprehensive packages,” he said.
He added that the deadline for uploading pilgrims’ details onto the Nusuk Masar platform is January 28, 2027, after which visa issuance will continue until March 9, 2027.
“There will be no extension of these deadlines. We do not want a repeat of what happened last year when some pilgrims missed out because of delays. Those who failed to perform Hajj last year should be the first to register this time,” he said.
The new roadmap comes barely a year after a standoff between UBHA and the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) over the mandate to coordinate Hajj arrangements for Ugandan pilgrims.
The dispute left many pilgrims registered under UMSC unable to obtain Hajj visas since their applications were submitted after the Saudi Hajj portal had closed.
It remains unclear whether UMSC and UBHA have fully harmonised their operations ahead of the 2027 pilgrimage. However, Makkah Madinah Hajj and Umrah Services, which aligned itself with UMSC during last year’s dispute, was among the Hajj operators that attended the launch of the 2027 Hajj roadmap, signalling a possible thaw in relations.
