Buses During Haj
Syrian instability could lead to a serious shortage of buses to transport people coming to Saudi Arabia for the soon to arrive Haj season.
The president of the National Haj and Umrah Committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Saad Al-Qurashi, said that his committee is already well involved in organizing for the upcoming Haj season, with procedures for registration counters to open already underway.
"But they are still awaiting the Haj Ministry's spot allocations for companies and institutions in the holy sites of Mina and Arafat," he said.
Due to the ongoing turmoil now taking place in Syria, the availability of buses from there, which are among the most crucial and least expensive, is uncertain. Buses from Turkey are also facing obstructions as the border there is closed.
“If buses are not available from Turkey, the Egyptian market would be considered," Al-Qurashi said.
Buses from Jordan are not an option, Al-Qurashi added, due to the high prices that bus companies there charge.