Saturday, Oct 13, 2007
Gulf News
Dubai: Expatriates living in the UAE require an Umrah visa in order to visit Makkah and perform Umrah, or "lesser pilgrimage".
Emiratis do not require a visa to go to Saudi Arabia, so they can perform Umrah any time.
Umrah can be performed throughout the year and one can apply to perform the lesser pilgrimage through authorised travel agencies.
Saudi authorities place no restrictions on the number of expatriate residents performing Umrah, unlike the quota system it sets for the annual Haj, which is set at 6,500 expatriates and 7,000 Emiratis per year.
There are about 250 Haj and Umrah travel agencies in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah which handle passengers going to Jeddah by bus.
Massive rush
The last 10 days of Ramadan are the peak period and there is a massive rush to Makkah by those who wish to perform their Eid prayers there.
The Umrah package by bus costs a little over Dh1,000, including fare and accommodation. The package for two by air and accommodation in a four-star hotel in Makkah costs around Dh9,500. Some airlines offer Umrah packages with special fares.
Millions of pilgrims visit Saudi Arabia during Ramadan. Umrah is performed in Makkah where the rituals are conducted in the Grand Mosque which houses the Ka'aba, to which all Muslims turn during prayer. The Ka'aba houses the Hajar Aswad, or Black Stone, which the Prophet Ebrahim used as the cornerstone of the original Ka'aba.
The Saudi authorities stopped issuing Haj or Umrah visas to those applying from the UAE unless they have residence permits.
In previous years it was common for UAE residents to invite their relatives from abroad to join them for Haj or Umrah.
The agency must make sure there is a Quranic scholar available to the group to guide them through the rituals. There should also be a male and female paramedic. The agent usually books rooms near the mosque for the pilgrims.
The Saudi authorities have set requirements for an Umrah visa which includes a valid UAE residence visa.
The traveller's passport must be valid for at least six months.
In addition to photocopies of documents that must be submitted with the visa application, the medical reports must be stamped by the UAE Health Department.
The Haj and Umrah requirements are issued separately every year by the Saudi authorities before the beginning of each Haj and Umrah season.
The visa is issued within 24 hours. For information on processing time for all other types of visas, contact the Saudi Consulate in Dubai or Consular section of the Saudi Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
Gulf News 2007. All rights reserved.
