Flight cancellations force some UAE Umrah pilgrims to return by bus from Saudi Arabia

Some UAE residents who flew to Saudi Arabia for Umrah have ended up taking buses back to the Emirates after their return flights were cancelled from airports in the Kingdom, leaving them uncertain about when they could fly home.

Travel agents report drop in enquiries

Shihab Perwad of Rehan Al Jazeera Tours and Travels told Dubai Currents that a number of residents opted for the road journey rather than wait in Saudi Arabia and incur additional hotel costs. “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.

Perwad added that overall travel enquiries have fallen by roughly 40 per cent compared with the same period last year. He noted that both flight bookings and inquiries about bus travel have 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.

According to Perwad, the combination of limited enquiries and flight cancellations from many countries has led residents to postpone their Umrah pilgrimage this year.

Indian pilgrims take buses to UAE

Mohammed Jaseem of Al Shammar Haj and Umrah Service said that some Indian pilgrims whose flights from Riyadh were cancelled chose to travel by road to the UAE before flying onward 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.

Jaseem added: “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.”

Dubai resident’s father-in-law takes bus

Souban K, a sales executive at a mall in Al Barsha, said his father-in-law travelled for Umrah on 2 October and was due to return on 8 October after six days in Saudi Arabia. The flight was cancelled during the disruption. Although a return by air from Riyadh was possible, the family chose 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 11 October. 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.”