What does Hajj and Umrah transport readiness cover?
During the Hajj season, buses move large groups on fixed days between Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, and Umrah traffic runs through the year between Jeddah airport, Makkah and Madinah. A late bus, an expired document or a driver with too little rest has a bigger effect here than on a normal route. Readiness means four things are checked before the first trip: the vehicles, their documents, the drivers and the plan for when something goes wrong.
This kit keeps all four in one Excel file. It does not replace your permit file or the platforms of the authorities. It gives the transport manager one place to see what is ready, what is missing and what expires before the season ends.
Who regulates Hajj and Umrah transport?
Pilgrim transport in Saudi Arabia is a regulated activity, and the rules can change from one season to the next. As of October 2026, the main bodies are:
- Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which runs the Nusuk platform for pilgrims and service providers.
- Transport General Authority (TGA), which licenses bus activities. Each bus needs an operating card, which requires a valid license, registration, periodic inspection and insurance, and each driver needs a TGA driver card. Before Hajj 2025, the TGA reminded carriers to hold the Hajj licenses and permits, use designated routes and carry only passengers with valid permits to Makkah and the holy sites.
- Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites, which published a draft regulation for pilgrim transport in December 2025. As reported, the draft requires a permit to transport pilgrims and a replacement bus within one hour in cities and two hours outside them when a bus breaks down. It was a draft when reported, so check whether and how it was adopted.
The checklists in this kit are good practice, not official requirements. Confirm the current rules with the authorities, your permit conditions and your contract with the pilgrim service company, and change the defaults in Settings to match.
How to use the readiness kit
- Fill Settings: company, season name, start and end dates, currency, and your own thresholds for expiry warnings, rest, shift length and delays.
- Register every vehicle on Fleet readiness with its document dates and quick checks.
- Run the 36-point inspection for each vehicle on Inspection checklist. The score flows back to Fleet readiness.
- List drivers and plan shifts on Drivers and Shift roster, then fix any shift flagged for short rest.
- Agree the incident plan with the control room and the client, and print it for every driver.
- Log every trip during the season and review the dashboard each day.
How is the ready status calculated?
A document that expires before the season ends does not stop the bus today, so it gets its own status. Plan the renewal before the season instead of finding it at a checkpoint in the middle of it.
How does the shift rest check work?
Both limits are company defaults. Set them from the current TGA rules on driving and rest hours and from your contract. To test a full schedule against a set of driving and rest limits, use the driving hours checker.
Worked example: five buses before Hajj 1448
The example dates assume a Hajj season around mid-May 2027. The International Astronomical Center estimated the Day of Arafah 1448 AH at 15 or 16 May 2027, subject to moon sighting. The season in Settings runs from 10 April to 5 June 2027.
- BUS-101 and BUS-102: all documents valid past 5 June 2027 and a full checklist pass. Ready.
- BUS-114: everything passes, but the insurance expires on 5 November 2026. Renew before season end.
- BUS-120: the tracking device is not reporting and the tires failed. Score 34 of 36 (94%). Not ready.
- MB-07: the periodic inspection expired on 30 September 2026 and the first aid kit is incomplete. Not ready.
The dashboard shows 2 of 5 vehicles ready (40%). On the roster, driver D-01 ends a shift at 11:00 and starts again at 19:00: 8 hours of rest, below the 11-hour default, so the shift is flagged. In the trip log, 2 of 7 trips left more than 30 minutes late, and one trip carried 38 passengers on a 35-seat bus.
Common mistakes before the season
- Checking that documents are valid today instead of valid until the last day of the season.
- Fitting a tracking device without checking that it is actually reporting a live position.
- Testing the AC in the morning in the yard instead of on a full run in the afternoon heat.
- Planning shifts without the rest time between them, especially around the days of Arafat and Muzdalifah.
- Agreeing the breakdown and heat illness response only after the first incident.
Limits of the readiness kit
The kit only knows what you type in. It cannot confirm a permit, an operating card or a driver card with the authorities, and its thresholds are defaults, not legal limits. During the season the trip log is filled after the fact, so it will not warn the control room while a bus is delayed or off its route. This kit is a working file, not legal advice.