Dubai: As thousands of pilgrims head to Makkah for Umrah during Ramadan, the price for visas to travel to Islam’s holiest places has started shooting up, pilgrims claim.
An Umrah visa is normally issued for Dh350 to Dh400 but prices have now shot up to Dh2,000. The Government of Saudi Arabia issues the visas free of charge but an aspiring pilgrim has to process the application through approved Umrah travel agents.
Many residents who are willing to visit Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan claim that travel agents, who are authorised to offer Umrah packages, hoard visas to create artificial demand before selling the travel documents at exorbitant rates.
However, a month before Ramadan, the Saudi government limits the quota for visas and restricts entry as people from around the world throng the holy sites during Ramadan.
Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage that can be performed any time of the year, as against the Haj, which is mandatory for those who can afford it financially and physically and has to be performed during a fixed period in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah.
Millions of pilgrims from around the world go to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah every year, especially during Ramadan.
Aspiring pilgrims claim that agents are exploiting the religious intentions of people to make quick money during the holy month.
“I have been trying for Umrah visas for my family since early last month. I was told the visas are available if I want to go now but all the quotas are full for Ramadan. But I found out that visas are available if you are willing to pay a big sum of around Dh2,000 per head,” said Mohammad Ali, a Pakistani national, who is looking to go on the pilgrimage with his family.
Another aspiring pilgrim, who is planning to visit Makkah and Madinah during Ramadan, said his applications are under process and he paid Dh1,800 per visa.
“I’m hoping to get the approval by next week and I have paid Dh1,800 only for the visas, but the travel agent has not given me any assurance of getting the visa. I may or may not get it,” said Hassan Sharif, an Algerian. He said that there was no way to complain against them and raise this issue.
‘Forced to make money’
There are around 35 approved agents in Dubai and Sharjah and around 12 agents in Abu Dhabi, in addition to dozens of sub-agents.
According to sources around 150,000 Umrah pilgrims travel from the UAE every year, half of whom during Ramadan.
The Umrah season begins six months before Ramadan and there are no restrictions during the first four months. However, during Shabaan, an Islamic month before Ramadan, the Saudi government imposes restrictions on the number of applications due to heavy demand.
“The Saudi Embassy accepts only 50 visa applications per agent per day for the period of Ramadan, but the demand is very high and that is the reason the prices go up,” said a travel agent on condition of anonymity.
Fazlur Rahman, another agent based in Dubai said: “Since only ten per cent of the applicants buy the full package of transport, accommodation and visa, we are forced to make money this way. This is the only season when we can have our say.”
Officials from the Saudi Consulate in Dubai were not immediately available for comment.
