Huge rise in demand for Umrah travel expected

The number of pilgrims from Qatar performing Umrah and Haj during the holy month of Ramadan has doubled.Owners and managers of the Umrah and Haj campaigns said the option to travel by land has significantly contributed to the increase in the demand to perform Umrah.Demand for Umrah and Haj campaigns is expected to increase during the last 10 days of the blessed month of Ramadan, they added.Hatem al-Khalidi, owner of the "Hatem" campaign for Haj and Umrah, said the cheaper cost of road travel in comparison to flights was one of the contributing factors to the rising demand. The price of the road trip ranges from QR2,100-QR2,300, while airfare costs range from QR3,500-QR7,000 for four- or five-day packages.An increase in prices is expected during the last 10 days of Ramadan.Samira Hussein al-Yafei, owner of the "Tawaf" campaign for Umrah, said there has been an uptrend during Ramadan, with a 100% increase in the rate of reservations compared to last year. She too believed that demand is likely to double in the last 10 days of the blessed month.Visa procedures are streamlined, she said, adding that some campaigns run weekly trips, by bus or by air.Majdi Rizk, director of the "Good" campaign, also confirmed the upward trend in people performing Umrah during Ramadan, especially in the last 10 days.He too expects travel costs to rise during the last 10 days of the holy month as a result of the increase in demand.Umrah procedures are very easy and anyone can obtain the visa in one day after submitting the application, he said.Obtaining the Umrah visa requires submitting a copy of the Qatar residence permit, a copy of the passport and a personal photo. Umrah is available to all ages without exception, he said.The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has cancelled the requirement for specific professions to grant tourist visas to residents of GCC countries. According to the ministry, holders of a tourist visa, which includes all residents of the Gulf countries of all professions, can perform Umrah.