Umrah travel package operators have increased the rates of their weekend trip from SR90 to SR210 per passenger from Dammam and the surrounding areas. The rates for Umrah packages have doubled due to increased demand during the holy month of Ramadan. An extraordinary rush of pilgrims from the Eastern Province is expected this weekend, as many people aim to perform their first Friday prayer in Ramadan in the holy city of Makkah. An official at Al-Fatheh Umrah Package & Tours told Saudi Gazette that the rates have increased due to high demand for rooms and non-availability of accommodation in Makkah and Madina. “Our contractual bus owners have also increased their trip charges to these holy places during Ramadan,” he said. “Pilgrims have to make their own arrangements for food and we are arranging daily trips to Makkah and Madina at the cost of SR210 per person,” he said. Of course the current rates will further increase during the last ten days of Ramadan. More than 250 luxury coaches carrying Umrah passengers are scheduled to leave for the holy cities from Dammam, Al-Khobar, Jubail, Ras Tanura and Qatif. Normally the trip starts at 3.30 P.M. on Wednesday evening and returns early Saturday morning. Some other tour operators provide five-day packages to Makkah and Madina, including travel and accommodation, usually at a cost of SR 400-SR500. The offer includes a two-day stay in Madina and three days in Makkah. The journey begins on Mondays and ends on Fridays. The pilgrims leave the holy city of Makkah after Friday prayers so that they reach Dammam early Saturday just in time for work. Saptco, the public carrier, also operates special Umrah trips to Makkah on a daily basis. Buses leave Dammam at 11 P.M., and the round trip costs SR200. Pilgrims can return from Makkah at any time; there are no time limits during Ramadan. “During the journey, Saptco Umrah buses stop at three points for breakfast, Suhoor (Dinner) and to allow pilgrims to don Ihram. Pilgrims are given an hour to put on their Ihram (two pieces of white cloth) at the Meeqat points in Taif,” an official told Saudi Gazette. Another tour operator said: “We expect around 5,000 pilgrims weekly to leave for Makkah from Dammam and around 3,000 from other parts of the province. Pilgrims will travel in more than 100 luxury coaches. Each family will be provided with a large room while bachelors are accommodated on a sharing basis.” The buses will stop at mosques during the prayer times, food outlets, and shops selling Ihram and other pilgrims' requirements. As the end of the holy month of Ramadan nears, pilgrim traffic to the two holy cities increases and hundreds of travel agents and tour operators offer pilgrimage packages at attractive prices for individuals and families. Another Haj and Umrah tour operator from Qatif said that around 80,000 pilgrims will leave for Makkah from the Eastern Province during the last 10 days of Ramadan. He said single men seem to prefer the weekend packages while families prefer the five-day packages. Meanwhile, various Islamic and Cultural Centers and Dawah groups are organizing special trips to Makkah as part of charity. An organizer for the group said a fleet of luxury coaches would leave from Dammam every weekend with preference being given to recent converts to Islam and with bookings being offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. __
