Madbouly's remarks came during the Supreme Hajj Committee meeting to discuss early preparations for the 2025 Hajj season, in the presence of several ministers and high-level officials.

The meeting discussed ways to ensure improvements and address any challenges faced by Egyptian pilgrims during the previous Hajj season, the Egyptian cabinet said.

During the meeting, Madbouly emphasized the government's efforts to ensure pilgrims receive comprehensive support and be comfortable throughout their pilgrimage.

He highlighted the importance of maintaining strong coordination between relevant authorities in Egypt and Saudi Arabia to ensure the upcoming Hajj season is well-organized.

Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty affirmed the need for strict guidelines for performing Hajj through legitimate channels and ensuring pilgrims travel via these channels.

Moreover, he underscored the importance of expanding economic Hajj programmes and visas to be affordable for most society segments.

Abdelatty also stressed the need to raise awareness about the risks of dealing with unauthorized entities for issuing visas, as this leads to the lack of proper pilgrim services.

In August, Madbouly ordered the revocation of licenses for 36 tourism companies involved in making illegal Hajj arrangements for Egyptian pilgrimage hopefuls.

In June, around 650 Egyptians were among hundreds of pilgrims who died due to the scorching heatwave during the 2024 Hajj season.

Most of the Egyptian victims had travelled to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage without a proper Hajj permit.