Thousands of prospective pilgrims from Nigeria may miss the 2024 Ramadan Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia due to the authorities’ decision to stop providing Umrah visas.
According to a Daily Trust report, the news is already causing fear and stress among prospective pilgrims as the Ramadan fasting season approaches its eleventh month.
According to the research, Hajj and Umrah operators may face significant financial losses due to hotel bookings in Makkah and Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Several flights intended to transport pilgrims for the Umrah exercise have already been cancelled or postponed.
According to a Daily Trust source, an aircraft scheduled to travel from Kano to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday with over 300 intending Umrah pilgrims did not depart because the majority of the passengers were unable to obtain visas.
Ramadan is an Umrah season in Nigeria and other places around the world, with Muslims hoping to spend the last 10 days of the one-month fasting in Saudi Arabia to complete a shorter hajj.
But this year, many Muslims’ plans are jeopardised by the Saudi authorities’ decision not to provide visas to intending pilgrims, many of whom are already agitated.
Hundreds of Umrah pilgrims in Kano are still waiting for entry visas to do the smaller hajj.
Some travel agents blamed the problem on a new visa procedure implemented by Saudi authorities.
Speaking on the development, Haruna Ismail, Kano Zonal Chairman of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON), stated that the visa policy, which has a three-month validity period and a two-week duration of stay, is to blame for the current sluggish issuance of visas for intending Umrah pilgrims.
Ismail stated that many pilgrims had obtained visas since Rajab (the seventh month of the Islamic calendar) but had postponed entering until Ramadan (the ninth month) due to the visa’s three-month validity period.
According to him, several pilgrims overstayed their visit to the kingdom because they did not properly grasp the concept of three months validity.
“Once a client pays for an Umrah package and his visa is delayed or not given, then we have to either reschedule his ticket or refund his money and either way is a loss,” the agent went on to say.
Similarly, Abdulaziz Sabitu Mohammed, AHUON Vice Chairman, stated that more than 7,000 Umrah pilgrims had obtained visas but had not entered the kingdom.
He stated that 260 of his clients have air tickets but no visas, and that just roughly 40 clients have received visas for this year’s smaller hajj compared to past years.
“According to our estimates last year, Saudi Arabia received more than 25 million Umrah pilgrims, three million of whom performed Umrah during Ramadan, but this year, many overstayed in the Kingdom due to the new visa policy, which has a three-month validity period and a stay duration of two weeks rather than one month. “People have been visiting since Sha’aban (8th month) and staying after performing the Umrah,” he explained.
Mohammed stated that they have discussed the issue with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), and that the situation should be rectified by the middle of Ramadan.
However, intended Umrah pilgrims are not amused by the scenario, since many have gone so far as to pay excessive fees in order to acquire the visa.
Some are willing to pay up to N2 million for the visa, which typically costs less than half a million naira.
Babangida Danazumi, an intending pilgrim, told Daily Trust that he used to travel with six people in a group every year, but none of them received visas this time, prompting them to change their tickets in anticipation of the visa.
He voiced his displeasure that they had spent nearly a year preparing for the trip just to be disappointed, and he urged NAHCON to intercede.
Sadi Hamisu Ala, another intended Umrah pilgrim, stated that he has been waiting for his visa since last month and is still waiting eight days after the start of Ramadan fast.
“Our reservation was on March 15, but we had to reschedule it because the visa was not ready. I’m part of an eight-person group who purchased our tickets seven months ago, expecting that visas would be as straightforward as they are every year. “Booking ahead of time is usually cheaper and easier,” Ala explained.
He urged NAHCON to intercede, stating that most pilgrims pray for leaders and the country when visiting the holy site.
Alhaji Yahaya Nasidi, President of the AHUON, confirmed the development in an interview with our correspondent, stating that 90% of intended Umrah pilgrims would miss the hajj due to visa denials.
He explained, “It’s just unfortunate. Several passengers have cancelled their flights. The problem is that most travel agents have booked accommodations for the pilgrims, but they are not travelling. We have no idea how it will go. There would be a significant loss, notably in hotels.”
He added that NAHCON is unable to handle the situation, and that many people may miss Umrah during this year’s fasting.
According to Daily Trust, Saudi authorities decided to cease awarding visas owing to overpopulation, as some intending pilgrims who had previously been granted visas did not leave the country.
According to a statement made earlier this week by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, permits for two or more Umrah pilgrimages would not be issued during the holy month. This measure is intended to reduce congestion and allow all other pilgrims to undertake Umrah in peace and comfort during the holy month.”
Meanwhile, when approached, NAHCON spokesman Hajia Fatima Sanda Usara declined to comment.