trip Umrah-package rates from Riyadh to Makkah and Madina have touched all-time high, as holy fasting month of Ramadan has entered the last ten days. According to Haj and Umrah tour operators the huge demand from prospective Umrah pilgrims pushed the round-trip rates to reach SR300 for a three-day package tour from Riyadh to Makkah-Madina and back. The tour operators are charging SR200 for a three-day round trip to Makkah and SR220 for Makkah and Madina. “The package rates are still cheaper compared to other means of transport because an intending pilgrim will have to merely add SR20 in the three-day packaged rate to Makkah and include a trip to Madina,” said the operator. The Umrah travel companies are operating all days of the week, which is against the routine practice when intending pilgrims could book seats on Mondays for a five-day trip and Wednesdays for a three-day package tour. The return journey from the holy cities would be on Friday night. However, due to the peak season the round trip from Riyadh starts on Thursday and returns on Saturday. This is the special package offered to the pilgrims because of the high demand, said the operators. “We are also offering a package round for those intending pilgrims that want to spend Eid Al-Fitr in Makkah or Madina,” the operator said. The pilgrims can book for a three- or four-day package tour starting from Saturday, Ramadan 27 and depending on crescent the stay in Makkah or Madina would include the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. The package rate for this service is SR300. Umrah operators are charging SR300 per person for a family of two, for a simple reason that the couple would occupy a single room. However, there is a special offer of SR250 per person for a five-member family. According to tour operators the increased round trip Umrah package rates are due to the increased in the accommodation rates in the two holy cities. The transport companies that lease the 50-seater air-condintioned buses to Umrah operators have also raised the rental charges. However, the round trip Umrah rates for a three-day tour from Riyadh to holy cities would come down to normal (SR80 or SR90) per person right after the Eid Al-Fitr holidays. “Ramadan is the peak season in the whole year, largely because of the increased demand from people wanting to go for Umrah during the holy month,” said one operator. __
