The cost of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia) after the pandemic could rise by at least 10-15%, to $4,000-4,500, Shamil Mukaramov, director general of the Umma Tour tour operator, which organises religious travel for Muslims, told Made in Russia. The interview took place on the margins of KazanSummit-2021.

He said last year's Hajj was cancelled and this year was supposed to take place in the second half of July, but it was also postponed until next year.

"We expect something to move this year, though it is already known that the conditions will be more difficult and the pilgrimage will become more expensive. For example, we used to do quadruple and even quintuple rooms to make the program cheaper, but now Saudi Arabia says they have to be only double rooms, and in buses instead of the usual 50 people, now only 25 are allowed," he said.

It is also possible that Saudi Arabia will only allow direct flights, which tend to be more expensive than connecting flights, Mukaramov added.

"Everything I listed, plus PCR tests, even if the person is vaccinated, affects the cost. Maybe we are not talking about a 100% increase in price, but an increase of at least 10-15%. Specifically in our company, the price of the Small Pilgrimage started at 1200 dollars, so it will become about 1500 dollars, and the Big Pilgrimage may increase from three thousand dollars to 4-4,5 thousand dollars. The reason is that during the Hajj, unlike the Umrah, hotel prices are much more expensive and the number of seats is limited," the tour manager said.

He also mentioned two other factors that affect the cost of travel, the dollar exchange rate and the increase in taxes in Saudi Arabia from 5% to 15%.

Read the full interview on the website at 07.00 Moscow time.

Made in Russia // Made in Russia

Author: Ksenia Gustova