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Attractive Umrah fares trigger larger number of pilgrims to Makkah, Madinah

Arab News
October 28, 2017

Riyadh, Oct 28: Increasing numbers of Umrah pilgrims are finding their way to Makkah and Madinah as a result of an attractive Umrah fare which was brought down from SR180 ($48) to SR100 following the Hajj season.

During the Hajj season, authorities did not allow local pilgrims to perform Umrah or visit the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

A round-trip fare from Riyadh to Makkah by a luxury coach including accommodation in the holy city will cost only SR100 per pilgrim and passengers will not have to pay an additional charge to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

A five-day package from Monday through Friday is also available at SR160 per person in a family and SR140 for a single.

A travel operator in the capital said here that the Umrah tours from Riyadh to Makkah/Madinah will start from 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and return to its point of origin on Saturday at midnight.

During the journey, three bachelors will be accommodated in a room in a three-star hotel and they have to pay separately for their breakfast. Families will be given separate rooms and children under 12 will pay half fare.

The Umrah travel is handled by government-registered operators who are spread throughout the city mainly in places such as Hai Al-Wazara, Batha, Mursalat and Manfouha. According to sources, some 300 Umrah travel operators are located in the capital, largely concentrated in the city center of Batha.

An official from the Ministry of Health said that it is advisable to take the meningitis immunization, although it is not compulsory. Elderly pilgrims are advised to go on this mini pilgrimage on medical advice and they are also advised to take their medicines on time during the pilgrimage.

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News Network
May 7,2020

Dubai, May 7: The holy month of Ramadan is expected to be a 30-day month this year, said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

According to Arabic daily Emarat Al Youm, he said that Sunday, May 24, will mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Shawwal.

Additionally, he said that the crescent of Shawwal will occur on Friday, May 22, at 9.39pm, after sunset, and will be visible on Sunday, May 24, the beginning of Shawal, which makes Ramadan a 30-day month this year.

He added that the next Ramadan is expected to start on April 13, 2021, and the one after that on April 2, 2022.

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Agencies
June 5,2020

Expatriate workers who fail to abide by the coronavirus protocols in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia may face deportation, according to media reports.

“Individuals who fail to abide by preventive measures, including wearing medical or cloth face masks, failing to observe social distancing and refusing to have their temperatures taken, will be fined SR1,000. The fine will be doubled if the violation is repeated. Residents will be deported after paying the fines,” Okaz newspaper said.

Authorities called on people to report offenders by dialling the toll free number 999, except for the holy city of Makka, where the toll free number is 911.

As per the newly-revised Saudi protocols, social gatherings such as mourning or celebration events that take place inside homes, rest houses or farms, are allowed, but attendants should not exceed 50 persons.

The private sector is also required to adhere to precautionary measures: providing their staff with disinfectants and sanitisers, taking the temperatures of both staff and customers at the entrances of shopping malls.

Other measures include sterilising shopping trolleys and baskets after each use, sanitising facilities and surfaces, closing children’s play areas and fitting rooms in shopping malls and ready-wear outlets.

Authorities highlighted the need for all individuals and entities to abide by health safety rules, social-distancing protocol and the new guidelines set for social gatherings.

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Agencies
July 31,2020

Makkah, Jul 31: Organising this year's scaled-down hajj required "double efforts" by Saudi authorities amid the coronavirus pandemic, King Salman said Friday after being discharged from hospital following gall bladder surgery.

Only up to 10,000 people already residing in the kingdom are participating in this year's pilgrimage, compared with 2019's gathering of some 2.5 million from around the world.

"Holding the ritual in the shadow of this pandemic... required reducing the numbers of pilgrims, but it obliged various official agencies to put in double efforts," 84-year-old King Salman said in a speech read out on state television by acting media minister Majid Al-Qasabi.

"The hajj this year was restricted to a very limited number of people from multiple nationalities, ensuring the ritual was completed despite the difficult circumstances," he said.

The speech came on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice, a day after the king left hospital following a 10-day stay for surgery to remove his gall bladder.

The hajj, which began on Wednesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.

Authorities implemented the "highest health precautions" during the rituals, the king said.

Pilgrims, who were all tested for the virus, are required to wear masks and observe social distancing.

For Friday's "stoning of the devil", the last major ritual of the hajj, Saudi authorities offered the pilgrims pebbles that were sanitised to protect against the pandemic.

In a sign that its strict measures were working, the health ministry reported no coronavirus cases in the holy sites on Wednesday or Thursday.

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