RIYADH: The rush to Makkah and Madinah was snowballing as the holy month of Ramadan entered its last lap.
More than 100 luxury buses carrying Umrah passengers departed the capital yesterday.
The outbound pilgrims are on a two-night package to Madinah and Makkah and they will return to the capital on Friday after midnight in time for sahur.
The pilgrimage cost each passenger SR210, inclusive of bus fare and hotel accommodation. Those wishing to go only to Makkah will be charged SR10 less.
Accommodation is provided in a three-star hotel and it could be upgraded to a five-star facility with extra payments.
Umrah travel operators in the capital have come out with a wide range of packages to lure pilgrims during the season.
A five-day package has been scheduled from the 28th day of Ramadan to enable pilgrims to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and to spend their Eid in Makkah.
The five-day package to Makkah and Madinah covering travel and accommodation will cost a pilgrim only SR325. The offer includes a two-day stay in Madinah and another three-day lodging in Makkah.
Children have to pay SR150 per head for the five-day journey. Families will be given separate rooms while singles are accommodated on sharing basis.
“Around 100,000 pilgrims will leave for Makkah from Riyadh during the last 10 days of Ramadan,” said tour operator Abdullah Al-Hamran.
There are more than 100 Umrah travel operators spread out in the capital but there is a large concentration of them in downtown Batha.
“Most people come to the city center for their travel reservation since many travel operators are located there,” said Abdul Aziz, a travel agent in Batha.
He added that the package remains uniform in all travel offices as the profit margin in the trade is very low.
Abdul Aziz said that there are no complaints of specific problems from the passengers since they are on pilgrimage. “In case of unexpected breakdowns or accidents, the passengers cooperate with the drivers,” he said.
The pilgrims tend to get angry when they do not get their accommodation close to the Haram according to their agreement with the travel operators, he added.
The buses that start their journey from Batha and Wazarah districts have to go through the Central Bus Terminal in Aziziyah so that the authorities could keep a tab on the number of pilgrims traveling from Riyadh.
