Local tour operators have raised round-trip Umrah package rates from Riyadh by at least 50 percent, with prices expected to further increase by 150 percent during the last 10 days of Ramadan. Muhammad, a representative of Ibn Al-Qayyim for Haj and Umrah, told Saudi Gazette that the current rate for a three-day package to the Two Holy Cities is SR150 per person which includes transportation and hotel accommodation. Farooq Ansari, a reservation clerk at Anwar Sharafain for Haj and Umrah, said that the number of people who wish to perform Umrah has increased because of the holy month of Ramadan. The Umrah package rate for a five-day round-trip from Riyadh to Makkah and Madina is SR180, he said. Ansari said the rise in Umrah package rates is not new, as it happens every year during Ramadan. However, tour operators are giving a 10 to 15 percent concession to families. Some tour operators are charging additional rates for accommodation purported to be closer to the Harams. However, according to the experience of visitors, this is just a tactic tour operators use to charge more money because no budget accommodation has been available in the vicinity of the Harams since expansion work has been completed.
