Today's Edition
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
The Minister of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, has announced several measures to enhance the experience of Umrah performers and visitors from the UAE. UAE residents can now perform Umrah using the multiple-entry e-visa, which extends their stay in Saudi Arabia to 90 days per year.
The announcement came during the introductory meeting and interactive exhibition of the unified government platform “nusuk.sa” for serving visitors to Makkah and Medina, which concluded in Dubai on Wednesday.
Held under the patronage of Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the meeting witnessed the participation of several officials from the Saudi Tourism Authority and over 400 commercial partners representing travel, tourism, and Umrah and Hajj agencies operating in this sector.
By organising this event, Nusuk aims to introduce the services and facilities provided to the Guests of Al Rahman, including Umrah performers and visitors.
Increase in Flights
Furthermore, Saudi Arabian Airlines has launched three weekly flights from Dubai to Medina and has also increased daily flights during the holy month of Ramadan.
FlyNas has recently made some changes to their flight schedule. They have allocated low-cost flights from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah and Medina. Additionally, the frequency of flights from Dubai to Jeddah has been increased to 29 per week, and daily flights to Medina have been added.
Showcasing a virtual reality (VR) technology experience to visitors and tourists of various nationalities, Nusuk has also organised an exhibition at the Dubai Festival City Mall.
The exhibition features a collection of distinctive Islamic historical stories and will continue for four days until February 17.
In addition, one of the companies approved by Nusuk in the UAE market has been allocated a pavilion to provide Umrah packages to those wishing to perform Umrah.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority and Managing Director of Nusuk, stressed the importance of forming partnerships in the UAE market.
"The UAE is considered one of the most important Gulf markets in the Umrah sector. The Kingdom is working to serve the Guests of Al Rahman by holding introductory meetings to build bridges of communication and cooperation. We aim through these meetings to facilitate the journey of Umrah performers and visitors from UAE citizens and residents. The Nusuk platform provides rich information and innovative services, highlighting opportunities and supporting the private sector in both countries,” Hamidaddin said.
Additionally, several Umrah and travel service providers in the UAE market expressed optimism regarding the meeting, stating that it helped to deepen the strategic partnership between them and their partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
This initiative aims to improve the level of services provided to Umrah performers and visitors, including UAE citizens and residents. The ultimate goal is to enhance the experience of the Guests of Al Rahman and increase the number of Umrah performers, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
What is Nusuk
Nusuk is the Saudi unified portal launched by the Saudi Tourism Authority in cooperation with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to develop the experience of the Guests of Al Rahman and facilitate the procedures for their arrival to perform Umrah and visits from all over the world.
Nusuk brings together more than 200 partners and provides many high-quality services, such as accommodation, transportation, aviation, hospitality, and applying for an electronic visa, to facilitate the automation of arrival procedures to perform Umrah and visit the Prophet’s Mosque and Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifa, regardless of the type of visa they obtained.
In addition to visiting historical monuments in the two holy cities, Nusuk provides an exceptional spiritual experience for the Guests of Al Rahman throughout the year, with the possibility of visiting diverse Saudi tourist destinations in terms of nature, heritage, and culture, and staying there for up to 90 days during one year.
