Ali Shahalom

I've even heard stories from my elders who just rocked up in Saudi during Hajj season and booked their hotels whilst being there.

That's like turning up to India versus Pakistan final and expecting to join the team on the pitch.

Mind you, things weren't always better in the old days.

Today is very different.

Since 2023, to go to Hajj, you've got to go through Nusuk.

When I first heard this, I thought, who the hell is this Nusuk guy?

But turns out, Nusuk is an online platform run by the Saudi government designed to digitalise the Hajj experience.

It's safe to say, not everyone's a fan.

In fact, a lot of people feel like Sonia, who wrote on Trustpilot.

Nusuk is basically depression you pay for.

It's like buying emotional turbulence in bulk.

Jeez, doubt Nusuk is on Sonia's Eid list.

Hate the platform or not, the reality is your visa, permit, flights, hotels, accommodation and transport must be booked via Nusuk.

It's basically Jet2Holidays Muslim edition.

It's not straightforward though.

There's a strict quota allocated to each country and you have to pay all the money for your trip into a digital wallet before you even know whether you've secured your place.

Banks get twitchy about people stashing bags in Middle Eastern e-wallets.

I had to ring the fraud team.

How can I help?

Brian, you might have frozen my account.