The shipping service for Haj and Umrah pilgrims between the two countries was suspended following the sinking of the pilgrim ship Al-Salaam five years ago.
“The service will resume after we receive the required permits from the shipping departments in the Kingdom and Egypt,” the source told Arab News.
Reasons for the delay in the resumption of services include the reluctance of ship owners to operate the long distance between Jeddah and Suez in addition to the strict security regulations stipulated by the authorities in both countries. The distance between the two ports is 1,150 kilometers.
However, many Egyptian Umrah pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom by crossing from the port of Safaga in Egypt to the Saudi port of Yanbu on board the “Mahabbah,” according to the source.
Egyptian Consul General in Jeddah Ali Al-Ashiri said resumption of ferry services for pilgrims was important because more than 40 percent of Egyptian pilgrims used to travel by sea.
He said the absence of such transport led to the rise in the cost of their trips.
