Privacy Policy
Meqaat Travel (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your personal data. This policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who we are
Meqaat Travel is the data controller for the personal data described here. meqaat.co.uk, registered office 30 Romford Road, Stratford, London E15 4BZ. Phone 020 8178 8400. Email [email protected].
What personal data we collect
When you enquire, book or travel with us we may collect:
- Identity details: full name as on passport, date of birth, gender, nationality, passport number, issue and expiry dates, and a passport-style photograph.
- Contact details: postal address, email address, phone and WhatsApp number.
- Booking details: travel dates, departure airport, hotel choices, names and details of everyone travelling in your party, and any special requirements.
- Payment details: card or bank details are processed by our payment provider. We do not store full card numbers.
- Health information: only where you tell us about a medical condition, mobility need or dietary requirement so we can arrange suitable accommodation or assistance, and vaccination certificates required by Saudi Arabia.
- Religious information: by the nature of our service, booking Hajj or Umrah indicates your religious belief. We process this only to provide the service you have asked for.
- Communications: emails, WhatsApp messages, call notes and reviews you leave.
- Website data: IP address, browser, pages visited and cookies. See our Cookies Policy.
Why we use your data and our lawful basis
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To give you a quote and arrange your booking |
Performance of a contract, or taking steps before entering one |
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To apply for your visa and register you on Nusuk |
Performance of a contract; legal obligation |
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To pass your details to airlines, hotels and transport providers |
Performance of a contract |
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Health and religious data (special category) |
Explicit consent, and where necessary to provide the service you have requested (Article 9(2)(a) UK GDPR). You may withdraw consent, but we may then be unable to provide the booking. |
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To contact you about your booking before and during travel |
Performance of a contract; legitimate interests |
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To send offers and news about future Umrah and Hajj packages |
Consent (you can opt out at any time) |
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To keep records for accounting, ATOL and tax |
Legal obligation |
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To handle complaints and legal claims |
Legitimate interests; legal obligation |
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To improve our website and services |
Legitimate interests |
Who we share your data with
- Airlines, hotels, ground transport and Ziyarat providers needed to fulfil your booking.
- The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Nusuk platform, for visa and Hajj registration.
- Visa processing agents authorised by the Saudi authorities.
- Our payment provider and our bank.
- The Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL) where required.
- Our accountants, insurers, IT and email providers, and professional advisers.
- Government, law enforcement or regulators where the law requires.
We do not sell your personal data to anyone.
International transfers
To arrange your pilgrimage, we must send your data to Saudi Arabia, which is not covered by a UK adequacy decision. We share only what is needed for the visa, hotel and transport bookings, and we rely on the transfer being necessary for the performance of your contract (Article 49(1)(b) UK GDPR). Airlines and hotels are also subject to their own privacy policies.
How long we keep your data
- Booking and payment records: 7 years after travel, for tax and ATOL purposes.
- Passport copies and photographs: deleted 10 months after travel, unless you ask us to keep them for a future booking.
- Enquiries that do not lead to a booking: 12 months.
- Marketing consent: until you withdraw it.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to access your data, correct it, have it erased, restrict or object to its processing, receive a copy in a portable format, and withdraw consent at any time. To use any of these rights, email or write to us at the address above. We will reply within one month.
If you are not happy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Security
We keep your data on password-protected systems with access limited to staff who need it. Payment card data is handled by our PCI-DSS compliant provider. Passport copies are stored encrypted drive / secure CRM and are never sent over unencrypted channels where we can avoid it.
Marketing
We will only send you marketing emails, SMS or WhatsApp messages if you have agreed to receive them. Every message includes a way to opt out, or you can email at any time.
Children
We collect children’s details only as part of a family booking made by a parent or guardian.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows the latest version.
