Shadee Elmasry – Update on Hajj Visa Changes

Me and Mecca books, we are very, very, we were really sad

yesterday. And I even heard that some veteran hedge leaders in

these companies were crying.

They were literally weeping and crying. Okay, because of what

happened. And what happened was that there was a rumor that was

not even a rumor. It was basically

it was a fact that the Saudis wanted to get involved directly

with the hedge. Pilgrims with the people who are attending hatch,

they wanted to have a direct way that you can go to hedge directly

through them, not through a middleman. Okay.

So we knew that was coming. Everyone knew that was coming. But

we also I think a lot of people also thought that the companies

would also be having their hedge ability to have their to do things

their way to, you mean that in other words, go through a company

for the simple reason that that's what people want. People like to

go with an imam that they know and they trust. Now, of course, some

people want to go by themselves. But I think a lot of people if you

ask them, would you like to go with a group of like minded

friends and, and a chef that you respect? Right, and that you want

to listen to? And you want to be in a hotel room with people that

you know, at least?

So most people have said, Yes. Plus, like these companies have

been running hedge groups for like 2530 years.

Nobody, I don't think anyone expected that they would actually

completely undercut all the companies. But this is the second

piece of news that we have for today is that the heads companies

are cut out of hedge completely. Right. And I had a phone call

yesterday that there was one of these veterans, literally, at his

kitchen table crying. Because it's not just his business, it's what

he loves. Right? And it's his relationships. And so you they go,

they go

on these hedge trips, imams, like most of the local Imams, they

can't afford to go on and regular Hajj. But if he's is he know how

to teach, he knows how to guide. So he goes like every three, four

or five years, right? That's done with no. Okay. So there are no

more hedge companies.

Saudi will only give hedge are give hedge visas directly to

individuals. Now, this is a very negative, there's a negative to

this, namely that people don't know how to make hedge, you're

gonna get there a complete stranger from the Ministry of

hedge is going to be your guide. And your people that you make Hajj

with are complete strangers, this never used to be unless you wanted

it to be groups in the past, come from Syria come from Egypt, you go

with your ship and your group, right?

You maybe you have another job. Right? Maybe you have an approach

to things. Now you're going to be stuck with some complete stranger

leading you you're hutch, who wants that. Now you're going to be

rooming. And being in a tent in Mina with complete strangers,

right? And don't think say Oh, well, I just was me for a bed

only, no, you're actually sharing a lot of intimate space. With

these people, you're on buses with them all, all the time you're on,

you're on what happens if you're like, you just don't want to be

with those types. You want to be with people like yourselves,

right.

That's why it was a really sad day. In my opinion, it was one of

those like things that

I didn't really get over it very quickly. And I don't want to get

over it. You know, one of those things that's like at the

appropriate response is just to sulk in it and be upset about it.

And I'm pretty upset about it, that there are no more of these

hedge groups. And so and also, first of all, for your own

benefit, are you gonna roll out a brand new software, which by the

way, is all out sourced from a Hindu company, not like Muslims

are running it all Hindus in the Emirates, so you're gonna put out

this new platform, which has never been used before, right away for

Hajj.

And on top of that, three weeks and on top of that, you just

cancelled the trips of everyone who's been sign up and waiting for

you for sometimes years because they were like wait listed during

COVID than waitlist and the next year that finally they get in this

year. And everyone's looking forward and you start your new

program by breaking the hearts of all these other people who would

just now they're gonna get refunded and stay home. Because

Because number one, they you can't just switch over to go to hajj on

their portal, which I'm going to tell you what the portal is

because so that you could try to make out it's by lottery.

So it's not even first come first serve. How's that fair? It's by

complete lottery. So you sign up. There's no information

Since there's no like pricing,

you don't know what you're gonna get, you just plug in a whole

bunch of information, they will send you if you got it or not,

who's going to do this three weeks out?

So, and this applies, by the way only to the English speaking

countries America, England, Canada, Australia,

rest of the world, they on normal

hedge in their own way. They're through their hedge mission of

their nations. So just tell me if you want to profit and you want to

defeat the hedge companies and you want to take the money out of

their hands and keep it all for yourself, cut out the middleman.

Why would you do this three weeks in advance? How does this make any

sense? Like no one is signing up to this three weeks in advance

except for a handful of people. The other smart thing to do would

be alright, let's use this software for a random ombre in

Jamaica Lulu, right? That would be the smart thing to do.

incentivize, hey, you go sign up for this. Use this website from

now on, like for this period of time, use this website, then you

can see if there are glitches. If there are challenges, there's

something called a soft opening for everything. There's a beta

version. Okay?

And then you and then you inform the heads companies.

Listen, I know this is not good news for you, but we're phasing

you all out, we want it all for ourselves. Give the guy a year or

two to adjust his business, right? Because Leah's huduma NFE Allah

whom it is permitted, to make money off of the process of hedge,

Allah says in the Quran, Leah shall do my nephew Allah so that

they can have Manasa. Why? Because go and hedge cost money. So it's

reasonable that the people who are going to go to hedge will need to

do some tea Jarrah at hedge to pay for the way back that was in the

old days. So in the old days, let's say you're coming from

Morocco, that's pretty far right. It's not like Egypt or Syria,

where it's not that bad. You go to Morocco, you go there, it might

take you a couple of months to get there. Because you're gonna have a

lot of stops on the way you get there. You finally get to hedge,

you might need to stay there a little bit, do some trade. Right

trade your nice beautiful goods from Morocco, sell it to the

people in hedge who are coming from all different countries that

are interested in your goods, that's going to pay your your way

back and put some more money in your pocket. Right? It's HUD

services is not free, giving people rides giving people a place

to stay feeding people. So it's a completely valid form of, of

business have to Giada. Now you're taking it from if you had a right

intention, wouldn't you be considered to these people? Right,

not on the very hedge that they planned. Okay.

They already planned it. It's not like you tell him three years out,

by the way, you're out in three years. So that means you got one

two hedges left, that's it, that would be fine. Because then we at

least we can prepare ourselves, we'll just will recalibrate our

entire lives, right? As a company, and we'll just start focusing on

ombre, we'll just start focusing on little chips to end the Lucy or

something like that. Not not, you're not gonna have a line out

the door. When people say a trip trip to Turkey, why would I pay

for a trip to Turkey? I can go to Turkey myself, why would I pay for

a company to go to enter Lucia? Right? It's whatever. Okay. So

these types of people.

It shows their intention to me, that you started this off by

literally breaking the hearts and breaking the banks of a whole

bunch of people. Right? With no concern. And you had no problem

given millions of dollars to this Hindu company into run company out

of the Emirates travel easy, not their fault, right. But it doesn't

make sense as a Muslim to use the hedge. Let's pay Hindus for the

services. And let's because we want to cut out Muslims.

It's just not the way that stuff should be the way things should be

done. But who are we kidding when we're talking about a group of

people that their track record is not exactly that great? Right and

Hamdulillah that, you know, if this if you are an Arab and you

said this on TV, they banned you from Hajj completely.

Now, there are some other ridiculous rules a woman can't go

with a Muslim. We know that because there's no groups anymore.

Now a woman could go technically to hedge without a motto, because

it's so fun to define her. But the Saudis don't allow this. So

it used to be you go with a group now you're going with a group from

your masjid, you're going to group from of pious people that you

know, and they serve as your group, your your your your

guardians, is that and that if there's any issues, now, you have

to go with a guardian within your family.

What

happens if a woman doesn't have family?

The group was her family. You don't think there are many

converts that don't have this? Right? A ton of converts have no

family, no mom to go with? What happens if the mom is an all men?

Now on top of this, there are two more rules to your Muharram. Rule

number one, he's got to be under the age of 65. No one over 65 is

gonna hedge. What if the guy is saving up? And he could only make

hedge when he was 66?

What if he just looked just made Toba? So you're cutting him out of

hedge? Ridiculous.

Rule number two.

Your Muharram cannot have made hedge for five years.

So no one can you can't you can only go every five years to hedge

according to this rule.

That's the rule.

Do they basically not want people to go because you actually made it

a lot harder. And any event? It's just

that let me give you the website just in case you guys want to make

hedge. And you want to try this out? Do it make hedge I mean, I

mean, if you this is the only way you could do it. Okay, Ryan write

this down for us. mot Aw, if moto with. And, you know, others may

irks me when they transliterate things wrong. M O TAWIF. Should be

mu, but it's alright.clm.sa.

And that's that's the website, you want to go make heads go on my

couch. So let me put it for the for the people on Insta, because

that thing only puts the comment on Facebook and

if you want to make ads, there it is Moto with.com. That essay,

let's take a look at what their website even looks like because we

can't tell the prices from it. It's not like they're just giving

you a package and then like some kind of

where they give you like, okay, basic intermediate.

Okay, we'll tell with is the exclusive online platform

authorized by the Saudi Ministry of hedge and ombre to offer hedge

services to Muslims in all of Europe, the United States of

America and Australia. Oh, wait a second. Where's Canada? Maybe

Canada's not even worth mentioning. But, I mean, if

Canada's out of this and groups are allowed to go to Canada, where

they probably just forgot it. Okay.

All right, owns the platform and has offered services to the

building for more than 40 years. Applicants register your

interests. This looks like a sock.

You know, like a youth soccer league application, first name,

last name, email, phone number, and the CAPTCHA. Okay, captcha,

whatever country of origin

Okay,

your hedge is only five steps away. And what's off is the online

official portal. To plan and initiate your hedge journey in

five simple steps fill in your application, submit your

documents. Oh, they're gonna give you a headache on the documents.

Draw selection after submission, a draw will be carried out

electronically to select candidates to perform Hajj. So

using again an email I guess, and if it goes to spam, you're out.

Make the Payment How much does it cost? How am I signing up for

something I don't know it's cost. Once you have been selected, you

will be contacted to choose your package. Does this make any sense

to you? That what if I have no clue what it costs then I get

selected and I say Hey, I'm priced out of this I can't charge I pay I

can't pay any of this.

And then we and then someone spot is taken. So you make the payment

and you select the package after you have inquired of your or put

in your interest. Then you get an E visa from Hutch for from the

Hajj ministry.

Okay,

man

such an upsetting thing.

Tech partner Travie Z. Let's go to the website of see who what who

who is that the partner

Travie Z let's see the names of these people. It's not their

fault, but it's our people who were essentially done who are have

no loyalty like to the like give keep the money within the OMA.

All right, the founders and the people behind Travie Z let's see

who they are. Where are their names.

Travie Z group is the group that runs this thing. All right, the

team.

Gate Behala

Rajab Panwar

Aakash good Aarthi

Archie good Gauri

Abdul Khan will good one Muslim of Jai Kumar Gupta.

Okay.

A couple Muslims not bad

All right, it's mixed but

the ownership is mainly is one Emirati and the rest are Hindus.

So it's mixed.

It's just something that's

so that's the news people. If you want to make hedge, get ready, go

to Mattel with.com.sa and good luck with your life after that.