Umrah now Tk 4,000 cheaper for Bangladeshis

Bangladeshis will now be able to perform Umrah at a cheaper cost as the Saudi government has announced a 63 percent reduction in the price of comprehensive insurance for international pilgrims.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of KSA has cut the cost from SR 235 to SR 87 with effect from January 10, reports Saudi Gazette.

Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), a platform of around 1,500 hajj agencies, welcomed the Saudi government's decision.

HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim yesterday said that Bangladeshi pilgrims would now pay over 4,000 less Tk for their Umrah.

Taslim also hoped that the Saudi government would similarly cut the cost of the Hajj for Bangladeshis and other non-Saudi pilgrims.

According to the HAAB, approximately 3 lakh Bangladeshis perform Umrah each year.

The insurance policy for Umrah is a unified policy that is covered by those who perform Umrah from different countries around the world, including Bangladesh.

It is included in the visa procedures and covers emergency cases such as treatment, admission, hospitalisation, pregnancy, emergency childbirth, emergency dental cases, traffic accident injuries, dialysis cases, and internal and external medical evacuation.

It also covers general cases such as accidental permanent total disability, cases of death and death due to natural disasters, and returning the body of the deceased to the home country. It also includes coverage for flight delay and flight cancellation, it said.

The insurance coverage period is 90 days, starting from the day of entering KSA, and the scope of its coverage is only within Saudi Arabia.

Intending Umrah performers can visit the website of the Comprehensive Insurance Program for the Guests of Rahman to view the Umrah insurance policy, verify its validity, and know service providers.