RIYADH: A chief executive and a top official at “one of the Hajj companies” operating services for this year’s pilgrimage have been sacked, the Saudi ministry responsible for Hajj has announced. The ministry said the removal was for the failure to provide adequate services to pilgrims, the Saudi Press Agency reported early on Thursday. The ministry said the decision came after coordination with the company’s board of directors and was based on the observations of the ministry’s field teams. The statement also said that the two officials were “referred to investigation.” The Hajj, a key pillar of Islam, will begin on Thursday and involve a million pilgrims from across the globe. The ministry reiterated that it closely monitors all services provided by all agencies and companies operating during the Hajj season to ensure their quality. It said that it also “monitors all violations and deals with them immediately” as part of its efforts to follow up on the safety and comfort of pilgrims. The ministry stressed that it will not allow and will not tolerate any shortcoming that affects the service of pilgrims. “The ministry’s inspection and field teams carry out continuous tours to assess and follow up the quality of services provided to pilgrims, and deal with reports submitted without exception, in an effort to raise the level of quality of services for pilgrims and maintain their safety,” it concluded.