UAE travel agencies witness a decline in Umrah bookings amid ongoing flight disruptions in Riyadh.
Umrah travellers from the UAE are delaying their pilgrimage plans as the extended closure of Riyadh airport continues to disrupt flights to and from Saudi Arabia.
Rashid Abbas, managing director of Arooha Travels, said the disruption has affected bookings during what is typically a busy season for religious travel.
“There is a lot of Umrah travel during this time. Umrah passengers have put their plans on hold on account of the attacks,” Abbas said.
While regular business travel to Saudi Arabia continues, demand for pilgrimage packages has declined significantly, he said.
“Bookings have come down. Emergency travel is all that is happening right now.”
Travellers with confirmed reservations are either postponing their journeys or rescheduling flights, with airlines offering refunds and date changes for affected services.
Abbas said the disruption has dealt a setback to Saudi Arabia’s outbound travel market from the UAE, particularly ahead of the peak winter travel season.
Demand for international travel in November and December remains strong, supported by the UAE National Day holiday and winter vacations. However, uncertainty surrounding Riyadh airport has affected travel confidence.
“There was a spike, but this Saudi issue has created a setback,” Abbas said.
Travellers explore alternative routes
With flights through Riyadh disrupted, travel agencies are helping passengers already in Saudi Arabia find alternative routes home.
Dammam airport remains operational, while Medina is another option depending on passengers’ travel plans.
“There are people who are already there. There are many cancellations,” Abbas said.
“Either they go to Riyadh or go to Medina. Many of the journeys are by bus, but the bus journeys are longer.”
Flights connecting Medina with Dubai, including services operated by flydubai, flynas and Air Arabia, offer alternatives for some passengers.
Afi Ahmed, chairman of Smart Travels, said travellers unwilling to wait for flight services to resume are increasingly considering road transport.
“Things were getting better – this is something of a setback,” Ahmed said.
“Such incidents always impact traveller confidence, which is harder to regain. Bus services are there, so even if flights are not there, people are taking the bus instead.”
He added that many prospective travellers are holding off on new reservations until the situation becomes clearer.
Jeddah flights largely unaffected
Despite the disruption in Riyadh, flight operations at other major Saudi airports have continued, providing alternative travel options.
TP Sudheesh, general manager of Deira Travels, said services through Jeddah have remained largely unaffected.
“Jeddah operations are not affected. Emirates, Saudia and other airlines are operating as usual,” Sudheesh said.
Passengers affected by cancellations can reschedule their journeys or request refunds, depending on airline policies.
“Free change option or you may opt for a full refund,” he said.
Sudheesh added that relatively few passengers were stranded and that cancellations on some affected services were in place until October 14.
Budget airlines such as flynas and flyadeal also offer alternative connections, he said, adding that flying remains more convenient than lengthy road journeys wherever services are available.
Pilgrims await clarity
Travel agents said uncertainty surrounding Riyadh airport operations remains the biggest concern for UAE residents planning Umrah.
Afsal KH, who works for a UAE travel company specialising in pilgrimage packages, said October traditionally marks the beginning of a busy Umrah season. However, ongoing disruptions have made travellers hesitant to confirm bookings.
“If you compare it to last year, there is a drop and people are quite stressed,” he said.
For pilgrims already in Saudi Arabia, alternative routes through Medina, Dammam and Jeddah, along with road connections, remain possible depending on their location and travel requirements.
However, prospective pilgrims are increasingly adopting a wait-and-see approach, with many postponing their journeys until greater clarity emerges over flight operations in Riyadh.
