JEDDAH, 4 June 2004 — The transit Umrah program introduced by Saudi Arabian Airlines last year is becoming increasingly popular among both travelers and operators. It is increasing the religious traffic that contributes substantially to Saudi Arabia’s economy, Umrah operators say.
The aim of the program is to extend the Umrah season from the traditional Shaban and Ramadan months across most of the year. “It is a very good program, which has done away with much of the bureaucracy and reduced difficulties,” said Mumtaz Mody, director of the Dallas-based JCL Travels told Arab News Wednesday.
He was part of a group of a 100 operators from the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Gulf attending a workshop and familiarization tour. After performing Umrah and visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, they were taken on a guided tour of Jeddah. Initial teething problems, Mody hopes, will be solved in the course of time. Thus Umrah visas here are counted down from the date of issue. “That creates lot of tension as (visitors) have to travel almost immediately,” she said. “We send about two families, usually of four or five members every week,” she said, adding Umrah traffic from the United States had gone up after the Sept. 11 attacks. The program “is hassle-free, and pilgrims can visit their family and friends as well as perform an important religious duty in a short time,” said Sarwat Ahmed, president of Al-Hateem Haj and Umra of Toronto in Canada.
“Last month, we sent 80 and this month will send at least 200. The market has huge potential,” said Kafil Ahmed, Al-Hateem partner. Amjad Nasir, owner of Periplo Viaggi in Milan, said under the transit Umrah program getting visas got easier. He sent 20-30 people on each of the two flights every week from Milan to Jeddah. “We could send more, but it is difficult to find seats as the passengers include both transit Umrah and normal passengers,” he said.
Abdul Khader Badrudeen of Alharthy Alaramim Travel of Muscat, Oman, said it was a good program that would get better in course of time with experience and input by the operators and the passengers.
P.M.M. Ansari, manager, of Alban Travels of Cochin in India, agreed the scheme required further homework. However, “in India, families of NRIs find it helpful as they can perform Umrah and also visit their children and relatives in the US and Europe,” he added.
