BRADFORD East MP Imran Hussain said a commitment has been secured from the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to review the UK’s Hajj quotas and reform the current booking system.

It came after reports of issues including people being unable log into the system, receiving repeated error messages, having bookings cancelled with no explanation and being unable to view which packages were unavailable until the end of the booking process.

Meeting the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the UK as part of a follow-up meeting to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Hajj and Umrah’s delegation to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, Bradford East’s MP Imran Hussain said he secured a commitment from the Ambassador to review the UK’s Hajj quotas and reform the current Nusuk booking system.

As senior vice chair of the APPG on Hajj and Umrah, Mr Hussain visited Mecca, Madinah and Riyadh in February this year as part of the delegation’s inquiry into the new Nusuk system and the UK’s Hajj quotas.

The delegation met with several key officials and Ministers from the Saudi Arabian Government responsible for managing holy pilgrimages to the country, as well as several key stakeholders.

The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Bin Sultan Al-Saud, met the APPG to discuss the delegation’s findings and the Saudi Arabian Government’s response to the numerous concerns around Hajj that were raised with them.

Mr Hussain said that during this meeting, the Ambassador confirmed that, based on the APPG’s findings and other feedback, Saudi Arabia’s Ministries of Hajj and Tourism would be reviewing the UK Hajj quotas and seeking to reform the Nusuk system, whilst also evaluating a new compensation system.

Speaking about the meeting, Mr Hussain said: “The challenges faced by British Muslims have been a long-standing piece of work for the APPG.

"I’m pleased that following our official delegation to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, where we lobbied the Ministries of Hajj and Tourism on these issues, the Ambassador has acted on the concerns we raised and agreed to review the UK’s quotas and reform the current booking system."

He said many of his constituents and Muslims across the UK had experienced issues booking their trips and had faced "considerable distress". 

“I’m also pleased that the Ambassador has agreed to meet formally with the APPG after the conclusion of Hajj in 2023 to debrief us on future plans and for us to raise the findings from our own inquiries, and that he has also agreed to meet us in the months leading up to Hajj in 2024 to ensure that the problems faced this year are not repeated," he added. 

The Telegraph & Argus contacted the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the United Kingdom and the Nusuk platform, but did not receive a response.