Umrah

Articles

• Saudi Arabia Expands Visa Restrictions, Affecting Moroccan Travelers
  7 April, by Sylvanus

  Bad news for Moroccans wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia. The country has extended the temporary suspension of visa issuance for Umrah, family visits and business travel to Moroccan nationals.
  Morocco is now among the countries affected by the temporary suspension of visa issuance for Umrah, family visits and business travel. These countries now number 14. In addition to Morocco, there are also Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, (…)

• Travel Agency Owner Arrested for Alleged Umrah Scam During Ramadan
  31 March 2023, by Said

  The owner of a travel agency was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 28 by the prosecutor of the king near the court of first instance of Tétouan. According to the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, the accused would be involved in a case of fraud against clients who wanted to perform the Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan.
  Clients had initially been informed that their trip to Mecca was scheduled for Tuesday, March 21. However, when the date arrived, the agency announced the postponement (…)

• Morocco Introduces New Banking Rules for Hajj Pilgrimage Expenses
  30 December 2019, by Sylvanus

  The Foreign Exchange Office has set new rules governing transfers related to the accommodation costs of Moroccan pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
  The adoption of these new measures follows the implementation, by the Saudi authorities, of a new process. This requires travel agencies to open, in their name and through the Saudi tour operator, a secure account controlled by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj, funded via a dedicated platform, prior to obtaining the visa to enter Saudi Arabia.
  The banks (…)

• Moroccan Travel Agencies Face Losses as Saudi Arabia Suspends Umrah Pilgrimages
  1 March 2020, by Sylvanus

  The temporary suspension of entry into Saudi territory of pilgrims for Umrah due to the coronavirus is already causing difficulties for Moroccans.
  This decision taken by Saudi Arabia on Thursday, February 27, is undermining the activities of Moroccan travel agencies. In accordance with the new visa issuance procedure, these agencies have already paid for certain reservations. As a result, they are awaiting new instructions from the Saudi authorities to resume departures for Umrah. For (…)

• Royal Air Maroc Extends Ticket Validity After Umrah Suspension Due to Coronavirus
  6 April 2020, by Sylvanus

  Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and other airlines have decided to extend the validity of travelers’ tickets after Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended the Umrah due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  RAM and Emirates Airlines are extending the validity of travelers’ tickets by 12 months and 760 days respectively, without any other changes and without additional fees, reports Assabah. This decision follows the temporary suspension of the Umrah.
  As for the issue of accommodating pilgrims, it remains (…)

• Rapper French Montana Performs Umrah Pilgrimage in Mecca with Mother
  1 April 2024, by Sylvanus

  American rapper of Moroccan origin French Montana flew a few days ago with his mother to Mecca (Saudi Arabia), where he performed the minor pilgrimage, the Umrah.
  A stay immortalized in Saudi Arabia. Many photos and videos showing French Montana performing the rites of the Umrah, accompanied by his mother and other family members, have appeared on social media. Enough to inflame the web.
  Last November, the rapper celebrated his 39th birthday by organizing a party called Moroccan Nights (…)

• Moroccan Child, 7, Vanishes During Family Pilgrimage to Mecca
  25 June 2019, by Kamal

  A 7-year-old child, accompanying his parents to Mecca to perform the Umrah rites, disappeared from the hotel where his family was staying. This situation has alerted the Saudi authorities as well as the diplomatic services of the two countries.
  According to the newspaper Al Massae, the Moroccan child disappeared while he was in the company of his mother and several other people. The circumstances of his disappearance remain undetermined, although the possibility of a kidnapping is not (…)

• Saudi Arabia Reopens Omra Pilgrimage to Vaccinated Foreigners, Boosting Travel Sector
  9 March 2022, by Sylvanus

  Saudi Arabia, which has eased health restrictions in these times of Covid-19, has authorized the Omra for vaccinated foreign pilgrims. This could be a real boon for travel agencies whose sector has been hit hard by the pandemic, and is considered by them as a glimmer of hope.
  Travel agencies have less than a month to schedule the small pilgrimage. "The too tight timing makes the task even more difficult for us, as we have to book tickets for the next twenty days," explains Mustapha (…)

• Royal Air Maroc Limits Umrah Flight Bookings, Frustrating Moroccan Travel Agencies
  30 March 2022, by Sylvanus

  Many travel agencies are complaining about the lack of flights to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah for Ramadan 2022. The national airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has provided clarifications.
  "Normally, we would make requests to the airlines that offered us quotas of either a group of 50 people or 40 people. This year, that is no longer the case. The maximum that RAM has provided is 20 tickets," complained Mustapha Aouzir, owner of a travel agency and member of the National Association of (…)

• Mecca Pilgrimage Visa Scam: Teacher Arrested in Morocco for Fraud
  3 September 2024, by Sylvanus

  In Meknes, cases of fraud related to Omra or Hajj pilgrimage visas are multiplying. Suspected of being involved in visa scams for pilgrimage to Mecca, a teacher from the École Normale Supérieure was arrested and then placed in custody.
  The Meknes police arrested a teacher from the École Normale Supérieure of Meknes suspected of being involved in visa scams for pilgrimage to Mecca. This arrest, which took place on Tuesday, August 27, is the result of an investigation conducted by the (…)