Umrah pilgrims bring cheers to merchants

The shopping boom has begun in Jeddah, the gateway to the Two Holy Mosques, with the arrival of thousands of Umrah pilgrims in the city.
Thanks to the electronic system which has made issuing Umrah visas liberal and faster this year, thousands of Umrah pilgrims mainly from Asian countries have started arriving in the Kingdom. This augurs well not only for the hospitality industry but also other businesses which have been witnessing brisk trading.
After facing a grim period in the past few months following the crackdown against undocumented workers, business in Jeddah is looking up with the sudden inflow of pilgrims.
The newly introduced automated Umrah system is expected to generate business in excess of SR20 billion, besides creating employment potential for thousands of young Saudis, Abdul Aziz Damanhouri, director of Umrah services at the Ministry of Haj, said.
According to Ministry of Haj figures, 953,000 Umrah pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom so far, and 516,000 have returned to their respective countries after performing Umrah. The Haj Ministry issued 1.7 million visas this season.
Most retail businesses in the city suffered in the previous season because of reduction in quota of Haj pilgrims following the Haram expansion project. But with Umrah pilgrims flocking to Jeddah from the beginning of this year, business has picked up.
All Umrah pilgrims and visitors, regardless of nationality and social background, buy gifts that are spiritual in nature to gift them to relatives and friends as a token of their spiritual visit to the land of the Two Holy Mosques. Rosary beads, antiques, handicrafts, prayer mats and prayer wear are at the top of the Umrah pilgrims’ choice.
Pilgrims from India and Turkey like to purchase gold ornaments. After a gap of several months, gold merchants now are also seeing increased footprints of customers in their shops in Makkah as well as in Jeddah.
“Compared to last year, we have seen an increased rush of customers in Umrah pilgrims,” branch manager at a leading gold ornament shop in Balad told Arab News on condition of anonymity. “This is the first time in recent years that we are witnessing such rush of Umrah pilgrims in the port city,” he said.
“Indonesians are the largest group of Umrah pilgrims currently but they spend less time in Jeddah. They come to Jeddah only on their way back home and buy gifts,” explained Mohammed Jafer, a salesman in an electronic showroom in Balad.
Textiles and gold jewelry shops in central Makkah have also reported increase in customer visit. Gift shops and restaurants located at fuel stations across Makkah and Madinah highway have also been witnessing an unprecedented rush of Umrah pilgrims this year.
Mohammed Khalid, a Pakistani bus driver with a leading transport company, told Arab News: “This is the first time in recent years that we are busy with the increase in number of Umrah pilgrims, and most of them are from Indonesia.”