Umrah operators in Riyadh have doubled the cost of a packaged round trip to Makkah and Madina with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan that tentatively starts on Aug.1. The three-day round trip to the two cities from Riyadh has almost doubled to SR150 starting from Ramadan, said tour operators in Riyadh. They attributed the increase in the rates to greater demand from intending pilgrims. This has resulted in transport companies also raising the cost of their hired buses. Accommodation charges in the holy cities have also gone up. ‘'With Ramadan approaching there has been a substantial increase in reservations for a round trip to the holy cities in the fasting month. However, the packaged rates will come down to normal immediately after Ramadan,'' said one operator. He said the packaged rates will keep increasing as Ramadan progresses. The cost of a round trip will go up to SR250 and above during the last 10 days of the month. The rate also depends on the proximity of pilgrims' accommodation to the Grand and Prophet's mosques. There are over 150 Haj and Umrah tour operators in Riyadh that offer various services, some ‘A-rated' that include accommodation in starred hotels which charge accordingly. The packaged round trip is ideal for those intending pilgrims who have a limited budget. __
