RIYADH, 3 August 2004 — Umrah travel operators in the capital have revealed a wide range of packages to lure pilgrims during this summer.
A five-day package to Makkah and Madinah including travel and accommodation will cost a pilgrim only SR120. The offer includes a two-day stay in a three-star hotel in Makkah and another two-day lodging in a similar hotel in Madinah.
The journey begins on Monday and ends on Friday. The pilgrims would leave Makkah after Juma prayers and reach Riyadh around midnight. Pilgrims are given an option to choose a five-star facility for an extra SR50 per head.
The weekend package to Makkah and Madinah is offered at SR90. The trip starts at 5 p.m. from Riyadh on Wednesday and finishes on Friday midnight. Those wishing to go only to Makkah will also be charged the same rate. Accommodation is provided in a three-star hotel and it could be upgraded to a facility such as Al-Sohada, Al-Safa, Al-Jiyad or Al-Elaf for an extra SR20.
“Every week around 15,000 pilgrims leave Riyadh for Makkah during the summer in 300 luxury coaches,” a travel operator Divan Attiyah Al-Mohammad told Arab News.
He added that a large number of people who live on a bachelor status make use of the weekend package while families prefer the five-day package.
Children have to pay SR70 for the five-day journey. Each family is given a large room while bachelors are offered sharing accommodation, he said.
There are more than 50 Umrah travel operators in the capital but there is a large concentration of these offices in the city center of Batha.
Abdul Aziz, a travel agent in Batha, said that the passengers do not cause any problems since they are on a pilgrimage. Even if there are unexpected breakdowns or accidents, they cooperate with the drivers.
During the journey, coaches halt at two locations for refreshments. Pilgrims are given half an hour to don their Ihrams at the Meeqat points. Mosques, food outlets and shops selling Ihrams and other pilgrims’ requisites are available at these locations.
