Author: ARAB NEWSID: 1543694051989354500Sat, 2018-12-01 22:53
JEDDAH: The number of Umrah visas issued this year has reached 1,509,936, of which 1,190,961 pilgrims have arrived in the Kingdom, according to data provided by the Hajj and Umrah Ministry.
There are 337,876 pilgrims still in the Kingdom, with 232,117 in Makkah and 105,759 in Madinah.
Most pilgrims — 1,094,403 — came to the Kingdom by air, while 96,523 entered by land and 35 arrived by sea.
The largest number of pilgrims are from Pakistan (337,876) followed by Indonesia (233,792), India (196,726), Yemen (56,972), Malaysia (54,214) and Turkey (29,628)
Meanwhile, the launch by Saudi budget airline Flynas of direct flights from four major Indonesian cities to Madinah is expected to provide a more affordable Umrah package for Indonesians.
It will also offer an alternative to those who are on the waiting list to perform Hajj, the mandatory pilgrimage for Muslims. Umrah is the lesser, non-mandatory pilgrimage.
The Indonesian cities are Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Makassar, and the flights will return from Jeddah.
The airline holds a license from the Saudi government to operate Umrah and Hajj flights, and will provide a full service, including an Indonesian menu.
Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: hajj and umrah pilgrimsHajj & UmraMakkahMadinah 70 Saudi agencies attend Umrah forum in KhartoumPrivate sectors role in improving Hajj, Umrah services highlighted in Jeddah forum
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