JEDDAH/MADINAH, 30 March 2005 — It is no secret that Haj and Umrah are the best times for merchants in Makkah and Madinah to make a profit. In Madinah the merchants rely on a particular group of pilgrims.
The Umrah season began last week and already groups of Umrah pilgrims have arrived in the two holy cities, among them are the Iranians who normally prefer to spend most of their time in Madinah.
“Iranian pilgrims are exceptional for their great purchasing power,” said a merchant in the central location around the Prophet’s Mosque. “They like to buy electronic goods, especially cameras, videos and tape recorders,” said Saleh Al-Essa.
A textile merchant, Abdul Hameed Farouk, said the Iranians were also keen on buying textiles. “Some merchants open seasonal textile stores and rent a store close to where the Iranians reside in order to make a profit,” he said.
The best thing about them is they do not haggle over prices as much as other pilgrims and they love to buy all kinds of souvenirs from Madinah. “They buy the best kinds of Madinah dates, especially Ajwa and Anbar. They buy vast quantities as gifts,” said Abdul Jabbar Bakhsh, a date merchant.
An employee at the airport in Madinah said: “Iranian pilgrims are generally among the best pilgrims we receive in terms of being organized, making early reservations and accommodation arrangements; they leave on time rather than overstaying and they don’t make a lot of fuss about things.”
The Madinah merchants will be happy to hear that even more Iranian pilgrims will be visiting the Kingdom this Umrah season which lasts until the end of Ramadan. Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Iranian Haj organization have signed a memorandum of understanding for the transport of 350,000 Iranian Umrah visitors. The agreement includes round-trip flights from 14 Iranian cities directly to Prince Muhammad ibn Abdul Aziz Airport in Madinah and return flights from King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah.
