20% increase in Umrah pilgrims from Qatar

Great demand for flights to Jeddah from Doha

NT Bureau

Doha: The number of pilgrims heading to the holy land for Umrah from Qatar has increased by up to 20 percent during the holy month, Hajj and Umrah companies and travel agencies have said.

They said the majority of these trips are booked early, well before the start of Ramadan.
Experts also said there is a high demand for airline seats, by 60 percent, as well as for land travel, which accounts for 40 percent of the total number of pilgrims.

Writer and economic expert Ahmed Aql said bookings for flight seats from Doha to Jeddah range between QR 2300-2600, while they may reach their peak in the last ten days to QR4000, yet they sell out at a record time, while the price of a shared room reaches QR 4,200, and QR6000 for a single room, depending on its proximity to the holy mosque. 

Executive Director of Manasik for Hajj and Umrah Sherif Karim Youssef said many residents arrange family visits to the holy land during this time and they also gift Umrah trips, thereby increasing the number of visitors from Qatar.

He pointed out that the interest in Umrah during Ramadan has been increasing annually due to the desire of many to spend the blessed month in Mecca and Medina, especially because Saudi Arabia has made obtaining visas easy.

Youssef mentioned that there are fast trips over the weekends starting from 750 riyals, 10-day trips starting from 1200 riyals, as well as trips via budget airlines starting from 3,000 riyals, and finally VIP trips starting from 6000 riyals. Regarding land trips, he said there are bookings for two buses weekly until the end of Ramadan, and contracts have been made with the necessary hotels for these trips.