Kurdistan Region: growing demand for Umrah visas during Ramadan

KURDISTAN REGION — A growing number of Kurdish citizens have applied for Saudi Arabia visas through Hajj and Umrah companies to perform Umrah during Ramadan, a period considered spiritually significant for Muslims, sources said. Demand has surged in recent days, with some pilgrims submitting applications up to a month in advance in anticipation of the holy month, which is expected to begin March 1, 2025.

Travel agencies report that land travel packages for Umrah during Ramadan are priced at $530 without meals and $630 with meals, while air travel packages range from $850 without meals to $950 with meals, with some premium trips costing up to $1,000.

Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be performed at any time, differs from the mandatory Hajj—which has fixed dates and is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Dilshad Mohammed, an employee at a Hajj and Umrah agency, told 964media, “demand has sharply increased due to favorable weather and pilgrims’ desire to seek spiritual rewards during Ramadan.” Many travelers plan to stay in Mecca for about ten days during the pilgrimage.

The heightened interest in performing Umrah during Ramadan is rooted in a saying of the Prophet Muhammad who said, “Performing Umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.”

In recent months, several Kurdish pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia during the Umrah pilgrimage. Weeks ago, a Kurdish pilgrim from Akre, Duhok, died in a Mecca hospital after spending two months in critical condition following a traffic accident, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate. On Feb. 3, another Kurdish pilgrim died in Medina after his health deteriorated. In January, a pilgrim from Shekhan district, identified as Hajji Zainal and estimated to be between sixty and seventy years old, passed away in Mecca while performing Umrah after reportedly suffering from health complications.