Umrah is a spiritual pilgrimage of Islam that Muslims from the whole world perform throughout the year. Muslims of any age regardless of their status and standard, can perform Umrah and fulfil their desire. Where people from the entire world depart for Umrah, Muslims from the UK also go. There is a large Muslim community in the UK and according to the most recent census around 6.5% of the total population is Muslim. And it’s not possible that they do not go to perform Umrah.
Performing Umrah is not just a passion but it’s also a religious duty that every Muslim who can afford it should perform. In today’s era, performing this religious worship only depends on booking cheap Umrah deals from the trusted agency of the UK.
The number of Muslims performing pilgrimage increases every year, but sometimes this number also decreases. However, it has generally been observed that more people travel in the coming year as compared to the previous year. Does this demand also increase every year from the UK? If the answer is yes then why this demand is rising day by day? Let’s response to this in the below sections!
Growing Muslim Population of the UK
Every year, the population of Muslims is increasing in the United Kingdom. The current Muslim population is approximately 4.4 million which wash 2.7 million in 2011. It has grown tremendously in just ten to fifteen years. The major community in Muslims’ population is youth which shows that median age is very less. This youth is mostly educated and doing well-settled jobs, so they have enough money to spend on spiritual journeys of Islam.
Mostly Muslim population in the UK, especially in London, Birmingham, and Manchester has well financial conditions. So, they prefer Umrah trips than other types of tourism and holiday breaks. Since Muslims are growing, halal tourism is also rising in the UK. According to some estimates, roughly 1 lac to 1.5 lac Muslims travel for Umrah from the UK and majority of them belongs to London. Out of these one lac Muslims, approximately 25% to 30% go only during the month of Ramadan. There are also many organised Muslim communities and societies that arrange group Umrah trips.
Direct Flights and Better Connectivity with Saudi Arabia
There is a huge distance from the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, around 4600 to 5000 km. To cover this distance by air, travellers usually have two options: one is direct flight and second is connecting or indirect flight. But direct flights are more comfortable and takes about 7 hours to reach Jeddah or Madinah Airport. Conversely, indirect journeys takes 9 to 15 hours because of stopovers in the Middle East. To avoid many hours in travelling, most UK Muslims choose direct flights in their packages when booking through a reliable Umrah agency. Non-stop route provides better connectivity to reach Saudi Arabia.
Typically, direct flights operate from airlines via major UK airports such as London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, or Birmingham Airport. The main air travel hub of the UK is London where direct flights were only available earlier. But now Muslims living in North England and Midlands finds Manchester and Birmingham better option. Additionally, popular airlines that provides direct flights include Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Wizz Air, Saudi Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic.
The better the UK’s connectivity with Saudi Arabia, the easier it will be for Muslims to travel for Umrah. Because non-stop flights are more convenient, the number of people going for Umrah will also be more and this is what causes it to rise in demand.
Saudi Vision 2030 and Easier Visa Procedures
Saudi Arabia is focusing on its Vision 2030 on every new day. Their target is that by 2030, millions of Muslims should be able to perform Umrah every year. That’s why they had broken their traditional strict regulations and don’t rely on oil productions only. One of their mission is to ease the procedures of visa issuance for UK Umrah pilgrims. Ministry of Hajj and Umrah practically proved it and now British Muslims can’t only perform Umrah on just Umrah visa. Now they can use e-visa, tourist visa, EVW visa, and even transit visa as well for Umrah performance.
Before these types of visas, pilgrims were able only to travel via Umrah visa. But now tourist visa has been become a popular option for UK citizens. The biggest advantage is that you don’t need to go through with any physical process for visa issuance. You only need to apply online on Saudi’s official web portal or pay fee £100 to £150 to your Umrah agent and he will do the whole process on behalf of you. Usually, visa process is included in all-inclusive Umrah packages, so you don’t need to worry about. Just pay your package cost and get your visa to travel.
The Difficulty and High Cost of Hajj
Hajj pilgrimage has come to be expensive from some last years and therefore every Muslim can’t afford it. As you know Hajj can only be performed once in the whole year and has specific dates. So, one of its main factors is that to be costly. But now Saudi government uses quota system for each country to participate in the annual Hajj. Earlier, UK Muslims were able to book Hajj package via travel agencies, process may still exist but become difficult. Now, pilgrims can use Nusuk digital platform for guidance of different Hajj factors.
A typical Hajj package from the UK which used to cost £4000 to £6000, has now reached £10,000 to £15,000 or even more. In addition, every country follows the fix quota provided by Saudi government. Therefore, many British find it easier to go on Umrah trip rather than waiting for Hajj and its expensive cost. Moreover, Umrah can be performed in the entire year except the Hajj days so most Muslims prefer it to perform.
Social Media and Digital Influence Rise in Demand
Social media and other digital platforms totally changed the Umrah experience for Muslims. This is somehow a main reason to rise in Umrah demand from the UK. Nowadays, influencers and travel bloggers record their whole Umrah experience in videos and clips then post on different digital social media platforms.
Another main reason is digital ripple effect when people see their closed ones are performing Umrah how easily and comfortably. Previously, pilgrims were prefer to use Umrah guides through their agents but now platforms like YouTube provides step-by-step Umrah guide digitally. Because of these reasons, Umrah has now become a valuable journey for Brits and everyone includes in their travel bucket list. In short, digital influence has increased the confidence of Muslims to depart for pilgrimage.
To Summarise
In conclusion, the rising demand for Umrah in the UK is not just a trend, but a result of British Muslims’ deep connection to their religion. Pilgrimage is not easy for every Muslim; just book a package and go ahead. Also, affordable packages from travel agencies have made the sacred journeys easier than ever before.
Digital platforms and booking online through internet is making more convenience. Hence, in conclusion, by looking at all these factors, it seems that in the coming years the number of people going from the United Kingdom to Umrah will increase further.
