Some residents of the United Arab Emirates who were flying to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah decided to return by bus after their flights were canceled at the Kingdom's airports. They preferred land transport due to uncertainty regarding when flights would resume.
Shihab Perwad from Rehan Al Jazeera Tours and Travels noted that some residents chose to return by bus instead of waiting in Saudi Arabia and paying for extra hotel nights. He explained that the residents' concern was related to the need to stay longer and cover accommodation costs while waiting for the next flight.
Nevertheless, Perwad reported that the number of travel requests decreased by approximately 40 percent compared to the same period last year. He emphasized that there was a decline in both demand for air travel and bus trips.
Perwad also mentioned that the limited number of requests and flight cancellations from many countries forced residents to postpone their Umrah pilgrimage this year.
Mohammed Jasim from Al Shammar Haj and Umrah Service spoke about the situation with some Indian pilgrims whose flights from Riyadh were canceled. These people traveled overland to the UAE before flying back to India. Jasim added that instead of staying longer in Saudi Arabia looking for a new ticket, some come to the UAE on visit visas and fly home from there.
He also noted that many pilgrims choose to travel to the UAE by bus due to a lack of available seats, and these pilgrims from India are placed on such buses. After arriving in the UAE, they stay for a day or two and then fly out.
Suban K, a sales manager at a mall in Al Barsha, shared an example where his father-in-law went for Umrah on October 2 and was supposed to return on October 8 after six days in Saudi Arabia. His flight was canceled during the disruptions. Although he could have returned by plane from Riyadh, the family decided to use the bus route due to the uncertainty of the flight schedule. Suban said he contacted a tour agent in Dubai, who informed him about a group returning by bus on October 11, and his father-in-law joined them.