RIYADH: Many people from the capital have left for Makkah and Madinah in the first three days of Ramadan. Besides people traveling by air, more than 75 luxury buses left for the two holy cities on Wednesday afternoon.
The unusual rush can be attributed to Muslims wanting to spend more days of the holy month in Makkah to perform Umrah and in Madinah to visit the Prophet's Mosque.
To lure pilgrims, travel operators have put on offer a wide range of packages. Weekend packages to Makkah and Madinah are being offered at SR170 per person. The trip starts at 4 p.m. from Riyadh on Wednesday and finishes on Friday midnight.
Those wishing to go only to Makkah are charged only SR10 less. Accommodation is provided in three-star hotels and can be upgraded to five-star hotels for an extra amount of SR200.
A five-day package to Makkah and Madinah, including travel and accommodation, costs only SR250. The offer includes a two-day stay in a three-star hotel in Madinah and a three-day stay in a similar hotel in Makkah. The journey begins on Monday and ends on Friday.
Pilgrims will leave the holy city of Makkah after Friday prayers, reaching Riyadh around midnight. Pilgrims are given an option to choose a five-star facility for an additional payment.
“The Umrah rush will gradually increase and reach its peak during the last 10 days of the holy month,” said Abu Bander, owner of Al-Rushd Umrah Travel Operator. Abu Bander anticipates around 100,000 pilgrims from Riyadh will use the coach service during the last days of the holy month. He noted that a large number of single men enjoy the weekend package, while families prefer the five-day package because of the school vacation.
“The cost of one child is SR125 per head for the five-day journey. Each family is given a large room while bachelors are accommodated on a sharing basis,” said Abu Bander.
There are over 100 Umrah travel operators in Riyadh with the vast majority concentrated in the city center of Batha.
“Most people come to the city center for their travel reservations as the majority of travel operators are located here,” said Abdullah, a travel agent. He added that the package remains the same at all travel offices, since the profit margin is very low.
Buses that leave from the Batha and Wazarah districts are also required to go through the Central Bus Terminal in Aziziyah to allow the authorities to keep check on the number of passengers who go on pilgrimages. To ensure this procedure is adhered to, traffic police at checkpoints in Muzzamiyah, 60 km from Riyadh, have been instructed not to allow pilgrim coaches that bypass the Central Bus Terminal to proceed.
Coaches usually stop three times: for iftar, suhoor and half an hour at the Miqat points. Large mosques, food outlets and shops are available at all service stations on the way to the western region.
The toilet facilities at stopovers, except the Miqat point, leave a lot to be desired. An Egyptian pilgrim who uses the coach service with his family at least thrice a year said the authorities should improve the services at these locations. “We'd like to see some good toilet facilities, clean and healthy food, and neat mosques,” he said.
