Through authorised Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and platforms, Umrah pilgrims can electronically create their own itineraries. The pilgrims are able to travel anywhere in the Kingdom throughout the 90-day visa’s validity period.
DHABI — By using the online platform Maqam, Saudi Arabia has made it simpler for international pilgrims to select Umrah packages and swiftly finish the visa issuing process. An Umrah visa may be easily applied for and obtained by pilgrims from any location in the globe.
Through authorised Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and platforms, Umrah pilgrims can electronically create their own itineraries. The pilgrims are able to travel anywhere in the Kingdom throughout the 90-day visa’s validity period.
By going to the main website and selecting from the list of authorised electronic platforms, a foreign pilgrim can book Umrah services through the Maqam platform, get a visa, and do so in less than 24 hours from anywhere in the globe.
The Maqam platform effectively functions as a Global Distribution System (GDS), integrating services, pricing, and bookings in addition to providing goods and services across several industries like lodging, travel, and auto rentals. Travel agencies and online travel agencies (OTAs) rely on the Maqam site to provide and advertise their services to umrah seekers throughout the world.
The pilgrim must go to the Maqam portal and choose their preferred travel company in order to receive a visa. They must register on the website of the chosen travel agency, submit trip information, including the date and location of departure, the number of nights to be spent in Makkah and Madinah, and choose between Makkah or Madinah as the first destination. Travel from madinah to makkah.
To obtain a visa, the pilgrim must visit the Maqam portal and select their chosen airline. They need to sign up on the chosen travel agency’s website, provide trip details, such as the time and place of departure, the number of nights to be spent in Makkah and Madinah, and decide whether Makkah or Madinah should be the first stop.
As part of its efforts to streamline the processes for the arrival of pilgrims from outside the Kingdom, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has established simple computerised procedures to guarantee the protection of their rights and the delivery of high-quality services.
The Umrah visa, which has a 90-day validity period once it is issued and gives pilgrims the ability to roam between Saudi cities to experience the cultural richness of the Kingdom, is one of the services offered by the Maqam platform.
The agent symbol on the web also allows users to select the route between Makkah, Jeddah, and Madinah, purchase aeroplane tickets, arrange for internal transportation inside the Kingdom, maybe with the option of lodging arrangements, and submit a visa request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Once the pilgrim completes the service reservation through the authorised agency, they are given a reference number to complete the online and credit card payment procedure (VISA) so that the visa may be issued through the unified national visa platform within 24 hours.
