DOHA: Muslims from Qatar, including citizens and expatriates, will not be able to perform Umrah this Ramadan, too, as the Saudi authorities are continuing to put obstacles in their way.
Local Haj operators told the Arabic media that though the Saudi officials had made an official announcement welcoming Qatar residents to perform Umrah, it was actually “a ploy to hoodwink people as they have done everything to make sure” that people from here are unable to travel to Makkah to perform the pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia has been blocking access to people from Qatar to perform Umrah and Hajj ever since a blockade was imposed on Qatar in June, 2017. The Saudi authorities have refused to lift the restrictions despite repeated pleas from Qatar and complaints to international forums.
Residents of Qatar seeking to perform Umrah are required to register their names through an internet link, which makes so many demands that it is almost impossible to fulfill them, complain operators.
If the Saudi authorities are serious and sincere, they must make the registration possible through the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs here, as they are doing with other countries. The operators also say since there is no air link between Doha and Saudi Arabia, it is difficult for older people to travel to Makkah as they have to take connecting flights.
“Registering your name for Umrah as the Saudi authorities have demanded is impossible as they are putting so many obstacles. They are actually cheating us. It’s a vicious circle,” said Haj operator Abdul Nasser Fakroo. “The Hajj and Umrah operators are incurring huge losses. One operator I know rented an apartment for 10 years for QR30 million and he lost the money,” he claimed.
“Why is Saudi Arabia putting so many conditions for us which they are not doing to other Muslims all over the world? These conditions are very complicated, difficult to accept,” said Ahmad Al Jaidah, another Hajj and Umrah operator.
“It now depends on the mood of the Saudi authorities whether or not you can travel. They are politicising religion,” says Umrah tour organiser, Fahad Al Kawari.