Umrah package from Riyadh drops to SR130

RIYADH: As the Haj season ends, travel operators have reduced the cost of an Umrah package from Riyadh to SR130 from SR240.
The peak season for the Haj pilgrimage ended with the Eid Al-Adha on Sept. 24.
This year, the peak season coincided with the summer holidays and there were a large number of vacationers with their families in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
Beginning Thursday, return fare from Riyadh to Makkah by luxury coach, including accommodation in the holy city, will be SR130 per pilgrim. There will be an additional charge of SR10 for visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah enroute to Makkah. A further payment of SR50 per pilgrim will include accommodation in four-star hotels in the holy city.
The weekend package to Makkah and Madinah starts at 4 p.m. from Riyadh on Thursday and finishes on Saturday at midnight.
Each family is given a large room while bachelors are accommodated on a sharing basis with three pilgrims in one room. Children under 12 have to pay half price. Accommodation will be provided in three-star hotels.
There are nearly 300 Umrah travel operators Riyadh but they are concentrated within the city center of Batha.
During the journey, coaches stop at three points for Maghrib, Isha and dinner and at meeqat in Taif for allowing pilgrims to put on ihram. Those who are going through Madinah will put on their ihram at Dhul Hulaifa.
Pilgrims are given half an hour to don their ihram at the meeqat point so that pilgrims can offer their Fajr in Makkah.
The local hotels in Madinah, in cooperation with local tour operators, have arranged city tours to historical sites for the benefit of those who come to Madinah to visit the Prophet’s Mosque.
The places of interest include Quba Mosque — the first mosque built by the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, in Madinah, Qiblatain Mosque where the Qibla was shifted from Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Holy Kaaba when the Holy Prophet was conducting prayers and the graveyard in the foothills of Mount Uhud where soldiers martyred in the battle were buried.
Meeqat points include Dhul Hulaifa, 9 km from Madinah; Juhfah, 190 km northwest of Makkah; Qarn Al-Manazil, 90 km east of Makkah; Dhat Irq, 85 km northeast of Makkah and Yalamlam, 50 km southeast of Makkah.
The Ministry of Health advises all Umrah pilgrims to take a flu shot before their departure for the holy cities. The ministry stated that the vaccination service is available free of charge to citizens and residents in hospitals and in public health care centers throughout the Kingdom.