The commencement of Ramadan brings a substantial surge in demand for Umrah, leading many travel agencies and tour operators in Saudi Arabia to capitalize on the increased interest during this holy month.

Flights between Riyadh and Jeddah are experiencing a notable rise in demand, with ticket prices reflecting this trend.

Mohammad Aslam Jameel, a supervisor at a travel company, indicated that the cost of round-trip tickets has risen to approximately SR1,700 ($453) to SR2,000.

Jameel noted that cheaper tickets are available at off-peak times, but even those have increased to a range of SR1,500 to SR2,000 during the last 10 days of Ramadan, known as Qiyam.

Moreover, Umrah travel operators in Riyadh have reportedly nearly doubled the price of bus tour packages to SR200 per passenger.

Mohammed Iqbal, a recent Umrah pilgrim, stated that the surge in prices is primarily driven by the increased demand from those wishing to observe Ramadan in Makkah and Madinah.

Prices for international flights have also seen significant increases, particularly for dates that fall around Eid Al-Fitr, as many expatriates plan their return home to celebrate the holiday.

Asif Ahmed, an Indian expatriate in Riyadh, remarked that the price for a round trip rose from SR2,000 two months earlier to SR4,000 now.

Similarly, Syed Faiz Ahmad, a Pakistani resident, expressed concern over the rising costs of travel home for the holidays, reflecting on how significantly airfare has escalated over the years.

The religious tourism sector in Saudi Arabia has seen remarkable growth, with notable data indicating an increased interest in pilgrimage travel for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

According to travel booking platform Skyscanner, January 2025 experienced a 21 percent year-on-year increase in flight searches to Saudi Arabia, with heightened interest observed particularly in March 2025, aligning with the onset of Ramadan.

Historical data also points to travel peaks around significant dates such as Ramadan and Hajj.

Madinah has emerged as a leading destination for pilgrimage travelers, with flight searches for Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport showing a year-on-year increase of 54 percent.

Saudi Arabia’s commitment to enhancing religious tourism is a crucial component of its Vision 2030 initiative, focusing on diversifying the economy and improving infrastructure to support this sector.

Significant investments are being directed towards infrastructure improvements, the expansion of flight routes, and enhancing the overall experience for pilgrims.

Prominent projects like the Makkah Route Initiative, which aids Hajj pilgrims, and the Haramain High-Speed Railway are central to these developments.

In response to the increased pilgrimage activity, the railway has offered discounts on two-way travel between Makkah and Madinah during the initial 20 days of Ramadan, raising the frequency of its services for the final days of the month.

The Haramain High-Speed Railway, noted for its high operational speed of 300 km per hour, has also expanded its access capacity by increasing station gates from eight to 24, along with the addition of two new terminals.