Some UAE residents who travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah by plane have returned by bus after their flights were cancelled from the Kingdom's airports, choosing the road amid uncertainty over when they could fly back.
Shihab Perwad of Rehan Al Jazeera Tours and Travels said some residents decided to return by bus rather than wait in Saudi Arabia and pay for extra nights in hotels.
“Some UAE residents who travelled to Saudi Arabia by air returned by bus after their flights were cancelled. They were concerned about having to stay longer and pay for extra hotel and accommodation costs while waiting for another flight,” he said.
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However, Perwad said travel enquiries had fallen by about 40 per cent compared with the same period last year. He said both flight travel and enquiries about bus travel had declined.
“We have seen a drop of around 40 per cent in all enquiries compared with the same period last year. Flight travel has reduced, and enquiries for bus travel have also gone down,” he said.
Perwad said limited enquiries and cancellations of flights from many countries have made residents postpone the Umrah pilgrimage this year.
Mohammed Jaseem of Al Shammar Haj and Umrah Service said some Indian pilgrims whose flights from Riyadh were cancelled were travelling by road to the UAE before flying to India.
“Instead of staying in Saudi Arabia for more days while looking for another ticket, some are coming to the UAE by road on visit visas and flying home from here,” he said.
"We are seeing many pilgrims who are opting to travel to the UAE by bus as there are few vacant seats from here, so these pilgrims from India are being accommodated on these buses. Once they arrive in the UAE, they stay here for a day or two and then fly," added Jaseem.
Souban K, a sales executive at a Mall in Al Barsha said that his father-in-law had travelled for Umrah on October 2 and was due to return on October 8, after six days in Saudi Arabia. His flight was cancelled during the disruption. Although he could have returned by air from Riyadh, the family opted for a bus journey because of uncertainty over flight schedules.
“I contacted a travel agent in Dubai, who told me that a group he had sent by bus was returning on October 11. My father-in-law joined them and came back by bus," said Souban.
"He could have returned by flight from Jeddah or Madinah, but there were a lot of concerns about the flight schedule. With the uncertainty and the cost of staying longer, we felt it was better for him to return with the group on bus.”