JEDDAH, 11 October 2007 — Thousands of Egyptian pilgrims are crowded up at the Jeddah Islamic Port, unable to return home after an unannounced routine inspection rendered four ships out of service for the time being. These four ships represent a third of the 12-vessel fleet serving ports between Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the ships were taken out of service temporarily at the height of the Ramadan seasonal traffic, according to a local pilgrim travel agent.
“I think this crowd is due to the wish of all pilgrims as well as the Egyptian expatriates to spend Eid Al-Fitr with their families,” said Ahmad Al-Dakar, the head of pilgrim tourism at Al-Fawzan Transportation Company in Jeddah.
The restricted schedule has also resulted in fare hikes, with some travel agencies charging up to SR1,000 for a ferry trip to Egypt. Tickets can usually be had for as little as SR300.
“I expect more Egyptian pilgrims to come during Eid seeking transportation to Safaga or Suez,” said Al-Dakar.
Some travel-weary pilgrims have been stranded at Jeddah’s port for up to 10 days without shelter. Exacerbating the problem has been the fact that many have extended their stay beyond their pre-scheduled departures, causing further bottlenecking.
Ahmad Al-Noby said he was scheduled to leave Sept. 27 but decided to extend his stay by 10 days. He was on his fourth day waiting for room on a return vessel yesterday.
Eetidal Al-Bayoumi, an elderly pilgrim, was also waiting for a ride home. She too said she extended her stay beyond her scheduled return. “I am an old woman, unsure if I will be able to come again for Umrah,” she said.
