BY Rokiah Mahmud

Some 24 Umrah pilgrims departed the Sultanate under Darussalam Holdings Sdn Bhd’s (DHSB) Umrah package on Wednesday.

The group left the Brunei International Airport to Saudi Arabia which marks the first Umrah delegation for the year 1443 Hijrah.

The delegation will be spending about 12 days in the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah.

Before departing, the pilgrims were also advised to download an application required before entering both Holy Cities, and to adhere to all standard operating procedures and guidelines set by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Another group will leave for Saudi Arabia on May 18.

The Sultanate is expected to witness a steady increase in the number of intending pilgrims with allowance granted for Bruneians to perform Umrah.

With Brunei’s long school holiday also falling in May coinciding with the recent lifting of travel restrictions, airline ticket prices have skyrocketed as customer demand for travel rebounds.

This gives agencies such as DHSB an opportunity to come up with attractive and competitive Umrah travel packages for customers.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin