RIYADH: Increasing numbers of Umrah pilgrims are finding their way to Makkah and Madinah as a result of an attractive Umrah fare which was brought down from SR180 ($48) to SR100 following the Hajj season.

During the Hajj season, authorities did not allow local pilgrims to perform Umrah or visit the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

A round-trip fare from Riyadh to Makkah by a luxury coach including accommodation in the holy city will cost only SR100 per pilgrim and passengers will not have to pay an additional charge to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

A five-day package from Monday through Friday is also available at SR160 per person in a family and SR140 for a single.

A travel operator in the capital said here that the Umrah tours from Riyadh to Makkah/Madinah will start from 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and return to its point of origin on Saturday at midnight.

During the journey, three bachelors will be accommodated in a room in a three-star hotel and they have to pay separately for their breakfast. Families will be given separate rooms and children under 12 will pay half fare.

The Umrah travel is handled by government-registered operators who are spread throughout the city mainly in places such as Hai Al-Wazara, Batha, Mursalat and Manfouha. According to sources, some 300 Umrah travel operators are located in the capital, largely concentrated in the city center of Batha.

An official from the Ministry of Health said that it is advisable to take the meningitis immunization, although it is not compulsory. Elderly pilgrims are advised to go on this mini pilgrimage on medical advice and they are also advised to take their medicines on time during the pilgrimage