Pilgrims usually visit their relatives in Jeddah after Haj, and as a result some expatriates feel obliged to take guests out shopping and for meals at restaurants. In fact, some are also forced to provide accommodation for their relatives if they decide to overstay their visas, and in such cases also buy them plane tickets home.

While some expatriates welcome their relatives with open arms, others — particularly those who live in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah — head out of town for a few days during the Haj holidays to avoid having to entertain them.

Taha Al-Saffan, a Syrian mechanic and father of three, lives in a three-bedroom apartment in Jeddah. He said that Haj and Umrah pilgrims who visit him cost him a lot of money. “We receive many pilgrims from Syria every year. They come throughout the year, but the number increases during the holy months,” said Al-Saffan.

“Receiving guests costs a lot of money. I have to buy a lot of food and prepare lunch and dinner everyday. I squeeze my whole family into one bedroom and leave the other two bedrooms plus the living room for the guests,” he added. “Besides spending extra money, I’m forced to spend a lot of my time and effort entertaining these people.”

Al-Saffan often drives his relatives to Madinah where he pays for their hotel and food, as some of them are poor and sometimes do not have money to travel to the holy city. When he has no guests, Al-Saffan spends SR2,000 a month on expenses. However, he ends up spending over SR5,000 after Haj every year. “I hope I don’t have anyone visiting me this year. If they do come, I pray they don’t visit me,” he said.

Haya Abu-Asal, a Palestinian housewife and employee at a marketing company, receives many relatives during Ramadan and Haj. “I work six hours a day and so I struggle to get time to look after them,” she said, adding that she usually employs a housemaid to help with housework. “Some of my relatives do not even help me with the housework. Serving my relatives is a full-time job and I’m always forced to apply for leave from work just to spend time with them,” she said.

Whenever Abu-Asal has visiting guests, other members of her family who live in Jeddah come and visit and also partake of meals. “As a result, I’m required to present a variety of dishes and sweets on a daily basis, and I also end up exceeding my budget,” she said.

Rowaida Al-Swisi, a Tunisian housewife, said she also spends a lot of money while shopping with relatives who come for Haj and Umrah. “My aunty, a mother of three young boys, visits me every Ramadan and also comes sometimes during Haj. She lives in Dammam, but comes to Jeddah for a holiday and to shop,” said Al-Swisi.

“When we go out, they expect me to take them out to a restaurant. A simple dinner costs a lot of money. Sometimes, they want to visit tourist attractions and eat at famous restaurants. This can cost between SR200 to SR400; I’m also expected to pay taxi fares,” she added.

Al-Swisi said expatriate families are also required to buy large gifts for their visiting relatives and for other relatives in their home countries.