The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has announced the results of the public electronic lottery for the upcoming Tourist Hajj season 1448 AH / 2027 AD. The lottery was conducted at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Capital through the Egyptian Unified Hajj Portal, in accordance with the regulations, rules, and procedures governing the season, as approved by Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
The lottery was attended by members of the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah, representing the Ministry’s Central Administration for Tourism Companies, the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers, and the Chamber of Tourism Companies and Travel Agencies, in addition to representatives of the Ministry of Interior’s Administrative Affairs Sector and members of the Technical Office of the Central Administration.
Samia Sami, Assistant Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for Tourism Companies and Chairperson of the Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah, stated that the total number of applicants for this season’s Tourist Hajj lottery reached 145,530 citizens, compared with 114,604 applicants last season. This represents an increase of 30,926 applicants, or approximately 27%. She confirmed that none of the applicants had previously applied through any other entity organizing Hajj in Egypt, in accordance with the regulations of the Ministerial Hajj Committee.
She noted that this unprecedented increase reflects growing public confidence in the Tourist Hajj system and the variety of programs it offers to meet the needs of different groups wishing to perform Hajj. She added that the strong demand places a responsibility on the Ministry and tourism companies to continue improving the quality of services provided to pilgrims, fully comply with contracted programs, protect pilgrims’ rights, and ensure that services are delivered according to the required standards and specifications.
She explained that this season’s Tourist Hajj programs offer several options, including Economy Air, Land Transport, Tourist Camps A and B, Tourist Camps C, and Tourist Towers. Applicants were distributed as follows:
100,020 citizens for the Economy Air category, representing 68.73% of all applicants.
25,900 citizens for the Land Transport category, representing 17.8%.
9,677 citizens for the Tourist Camps A and B category, representing 6.6%.
5,602 citizens for the Tourist Camps C category, representing 3.8%.
4,331 citizens for the Tourist Towers category, representing 2.98%.
She added that the largest share of visas was allocated to the Economy Air and Land Transport categories, which together account for approximately 68% of the total visas specified under the regulations. This includes 18,000 visas for Economy Air, 3,000 for Land Transport, 4,300 for Tourist Camps A and B, 3,500 for Tourist Camps C, and 2,000 for Tourist Towers.
Samia Sami praised the cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, represented by the Central Administration for Tourism Companies, the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Administrative Affairs Sector, the Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers, and the Chamber of Tourism Companies and Travel Agencies in organizing the application process and conducting the lottery electronically. She noted that this cooperation supports data integration, orderly procedures, and transparency, while joint efforts by the Ministry, relevant authorities, and tourism companies aim to ensure that services are provided according to the contracted standards and specifications and to safeguard the rights and safety of Tourist Hajj pilgrims throughout their journey.
The Hajj regulations for this season also include a system for evaluating performance and data quality. Under the system, 50% of the evaluation is based on the tourism company’s performance, 30% on the performance of its supervisors, and 20% on pilgrims’ evaluation of the services provided to them. This makes pilgrims’ opinions and actual experiences part of the assessment of implementation quality, alongside adherence to schedules, data accuracy, and compliance of services with the contracted program.
Citizens can check the lottery results using their national ID number through the Egyptian Unified Hajj Portal and the Egyptian Tourism Companies Services Portal. Tourism companies can also obtain the results of their registered applicants through the Egyptian Unified Hajj Portal using their designated login credentials.
The Ministry stressed that citizens who have been selected must contact their tourism companies to complete the required procedures and pay the cost of their Hajj program within a maximum of 15 days from the date the lottery results are announced, in accordance with the applicable regulations. They must also adhere to the category and mode of transportation for which they were selected and retain their contracts and payment receipts specifying the program category and agreed-upon services, in order to safeguard their rights.
The announcement of the lottery results marks the beginning of the stage for completing contracts and preparing to implement the Tourist Hajj programs. Regarding the season’s implementation schedule, registration of company partnerships will take place from October 1 through October 8, 2026. Contracting procedures for comprehensive Hajj packages and inspections of pilgrims’ accommodations will begin on November 25, 2026. Companies must complete the documentation and inspection of accommodation contracts and contract the comprehensive packages no later than January 8, 2027.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities called on tourism companies to adhere to the specified deadlines and fulfill all implementation requirements, helping ensure orderly preparations for the season and the provision of contracted services.
It is worth noting that registration for citizens wishing to enter this season’s Tourist Hajj lottery opened on September 4 and continued until September 27.
🖋️Source: National Media Authority online portal
