Travel operators in the UAE said that residents who had already booked Umrah packages are continuing with their plans despite recent attacks on Saudi airports. However, new enquiries and bookings have dropped by around 50 per cent as travellers wait for more clarity on the situation.
Umrah passengers affected by cancelled flights to Riyadh are being shifted to Jeddah or Madinah, both key gateways for pilgrims travelling to Makkah. Operators said their scheduled groups remain on track, but the conflict has made new customers more cautious about confirming travel plans.
Shihab Perwad of Rehan Al Jazeera Tours and Travels said thet they have not received any cancellations from people who booked their packages earlier. The fall in bookings is seen in fresh bookings and enquiries, including for road travel.
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“People who have already booked are not cancelling their Umrah trips,” he said. “But new enquiries and bookings have reduced by around 50 per cent. This is happening for bus travel, and flight bookings have also come down.”
Perwad said this is normally the beginning of a busy Umrah season, with demand expected to rise further in December. The current situation has prompted many residents to wait before deciding when to travel.
“People are still booking flights to Jeddah and Madinah, and buses are also going from the UAE for Umrah trips,” he said. “But new bookings are not happening at the same level as before.”
Jaseem of Al Shammar Haj and Umrah Service said his company’s groups were operating as planned. He said passengers whose Riyadh flights were cancelled had been moved to other Saudi airports instead.
“We have not received any cancellations so far, and our groups are on schedule,” he said. “Flights to Riyadh have been cancelled, but passengers tickets are being changed to Madinah or Jeddah. People can still travel for Umrah through these routes.”
He said some residents were also considering travelling by bus. A bus package costs around Dh1,100 and takes about 10 days, while flight packages start from around Dh2,700.
For Meeran, a Dubai resident who had been planning an Umrah trip to Makkah, the current situation has led him to postpone the journey.
“I was planning to travel to Makkah for Umrah soon, but I have decided to postpone the trip because of the current situation,” he said. “Even though flights are available to Jeddah and Madinah, I do not feel comfortable travelling at the moment.”
He said Umrah remained important to him, but he would rather wait until he could make the journey with peace of mind.
Fazil Akbar, a Garhoud resident, said his family had been planning Umrah for the past two years and had finally decided to go this year. They are now also considering delaying the trip until the situation becomes clearer.
“If things do not improve and flights remain disrupted, we may consider driving to Makkah in a small group of cars, provided the roads are safe and travel requirements are clear,” he said. “For now, we do not want to rush a journey that we have waited so long to make.”