New rules hit Haj food supplies

Companies supplying food to the huge number of pilgrims heading to the country have been unable to obtain work permits and visas for Asian cooks.

With a large number of Muslims visiting the gulf state from Asia, the authorities have been hit with a wave of complaints of bland food, as the cooks required to create the spicy dishes suited to Asian tastes were denied entry to the country.

Many of the pilgrims carry cooking equipment with them but with most housed in temporary tented accommodation they were restricted from using them by the civil defence authorities, due to the risk of fire.

Saudi Arabia requires all companies, including those in the food and beverage industry, to meet certain percentages of Saudi nationals employed in the company, dependant on the overall size of the business. Companies that don’t meet the requirements can be fined and struggle to obtain new work visas for expatriate employers.

Similar systems are in place in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, again with the aim of ensuring full employment for nationals and overturning the reliance on expatriate workers.

The Saudi authorities have also confiscated over 15 tonnes of food during the annual Haj pilgrimage in an effort to protect the large number of pilgrims visiting the city. The confiscated food was mostly being prepared by street vendors and market stallholders.

According to the Saudi authorities more than 3.1 million Muslims visited the country to perform Haj in 2012. Providing food for this many visitors is a monumental task for the country, with hygiene a top priority. More than 2000 health officials work during the Haj to monitor food production standards.

According to the web site factsanddetails.com​ pilgrims spend around US$2 billion during the Haj, much of it spent on accommodation, as well as food and beverages.

The authorities control and monitor 1,500 food outlets, dishing out around 1 million prepared meals, whilst 35 bakeries churn out 5 million loaves of bread.

The country recently announced it would spend US$54bn on projects to expand the capacity of many of the Haj sites, doubling the areas current capacity to 7 million over the next 30 years, which will increase the pressure on the food industry in the Kingdom. The announcement will also create 100,000 new jobs in a range of sectors including food catering and hospitality.