The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the Pilgrim Experience Program (PEP), one of the programs of Saudi Vision 2030, has organized at the ministry's headquarters in Makkah the second gathering of Umrah organizations, under the patronage and attendance of the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah.The meeting complements the ministry's strategy to develop and improve the experience for Umrah performers and empowers the private sector to provide Umrah services all year. It also facilitates procedures and applies aspects of commitment and compliance standards during the Umrah performers' journey.The meeting reviewed the major challenges and solutions to ensure the best services and adherence to the highest quality standards to enrich and improve pilgrims' experiences. It also introduced companies and institutions to the developed tools and indicators to follow up on their work. In addition to discussing the strategic directions for the Umrah season of 1446 AH and the main pi llars and targets, the meeting launched a number of innovative services.The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced in the meeting the "Direct Umrah Program" to enable Umrah companies and institutions to serve pilgrims directly and with the highest quality standards, without an intermediary between the beneficiary and the service provider, to contribute to creating the pilgrims' impression during Umrah journey through visiting historical sites associated with the Prophet's biography and discovering the Kingdom and its attractive spots and landmarks.The program is tailored to support and empower service providers and motivate companies to adopt a model of professional destination management and trip organization in light of achieving a historic number of pilgrims reaching 13.5 million in 2023.The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah continues its efforts to augment the system of Umrah services, as it prioritizes the aim of receiving the largest number of those wishing to perform Umrah and visit holy sites annually according to the goals of Saudi Vision and offering the best experience for a rich and unique faith journey for pilgrims and visitors.Source: Saudi Press Agency