Makkah's Holy Capital Secretariat has opened applications for catering contractor qualification ahead of Hajj 1448 AH, corresponding to 2027. The Secretariat began accepting applications on Saturday, September 12, 2026, which fell on 1 Rabi' al-Thani 1448 AH, marking an early step in the Kingdom's preparations for next year's pilgrimage.
The move is part of a wider push by Saudi authorities to lock in service arrangements well before the Hajj season and to raise standards across the operations that support millions of pilgrims. Food safety sits at the centre of that effort, given the scale of catering required across Makkah and the holy sites.
How companies apply
According to the Secretariat, catering companies can submit qualification applications through the Easha electronic platform at easha.hmm.gov.sa. Contractors are asked to complete and update their information in line with the approved qualification requirements and to follow the technical and administrative rules set for approving applications.
Only companies that meet these approved technical and administrative requirements will have their applications accepted. The Secretariat framed the process as a filter designed to ensure that firms serving pilgrims can meet the demands of the season before they are cleared to operate.
Why food safety matters at Hajj
The Secretariat said the qualification process is intended to make sure pilgrims receive safe, high-quality food services during Hajj 1448 AH. It added that applying technical standards and monitoring systems will strengthen the safety of the catering system and improve how efficiently it operates.
Catering is one of the most sensitive logistics challenges of the pilgrimage. Meals must be prepared and distributed to vast numbers of people across Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah in a compressed window and often in high temperatures, conditions in which food safety lapses can spread quickly. Tightening contractor qualification before the season is a way to reduce that risk.
The catering call also fits a broader pattern in Saudi Arabia's Hajj 2027 planning, which has included mandatory integrated service packages that combine accommodation, transport and catering, along with new classification standards for pilgrim accommodation. Bringing caterers into the qualification process early aligns food services with those wider reforms.
Practical notes
Catering firms interested in serving Hajj 1448 AH pilgrims should act promptly through the Easha platform and ensure their technical and administrative records are complete and current before submitting. Because approval depends on meeting defined standards, companies are advised to review the qualification requirements carefully rather than assume prior participation guarantees clearance. Pilgrims and Hajj operators, for their part, can take the early opening of catering qualification as a sign that food services for 2027 are being organised through vetted, monitored contractors.