Posted on 07/15/2009 11:17:08 AM PDT by nickcarraway
Swine flu fears and the global economic crisis are taking their toll on bookings at hotels in the city of Mecca, two months before the start of a minor pilgrimage that attracts up to two million Muslim pilgrims.
Umra can be performed any time of the year but most prefer to do it during the last 10 days of the fasting month of Ramadan, which will be around September 10 to 20 this year.
The haj season, which falls in November this year, attracts some three million pilgrims.
At Ajyad Hotel, favoured for its proximity to the Grand Mosque and the cube-shaped Kaaba building at its centre, bookings for Ramadan's Umra are down 60 per cent. “Last year, at around this time, our booking was 100 per cent,” said Ayad Ali Al-Sharif, a reservation desk employee.
“I think this is due to the financial crisis and the spread of illnesses,” he added, noting that the hotel could end up lowering prices when the Umra draws closer.
Ajyad is among several hotels that have been erected near the Grand Mosque, some of which are operated by major firms such as Hilton and the Intercontinental Hotels Group. An employee at the Intercontinental's Dar Al-Tawhid's Hotel said bookings made for the first half of Ramadan point to an occupancy rate of 50 per cent.
Saudi Health Minister Abdullah al-Rabeeah has urged elderly, ill and other unfit Muslims to postpone pilgrimages as the kingdom tries to prevent a large-scale spread of the H1N1 flu. The Gulf Arab state has so far declared 137 cases of H1N1, a large proportion of which it says have been cured.
Last month, Tunisia announced the suspension of travel by its pilgrims to Mecca for the Umra pilgrimage.
(Excerpt) Read more at theglobeandmail.com ...
Gee. Hard to figure how a hip, happenin’ vacation wonderland like Mecca could ever possibly see hard times, huh...?
No real compelling need in this bad economy to go and pray for the death of America this year...
...when it’s happening right before everyone’s eyes.
This is going to hit the 12-year-old male hookers especially hard.
“I think this is due to the financial crisis and the spread of illnesses,”
Bummer. Sitting on all that oil and no one to buy it from to use for bombing westerners..
Well....We won’t be going this year. Northern Afghanistan is a cheaper deal./s
They'll just have to stay 12 for another year. What about the eight year old female virgin market?
Dar Al-Tawhid’s Hotel said bookings made for the first half of Ramadan point to an occupancy rate of 50 per cent.
Shahids! better check with Priceline before you book.
Remember to speak the “language of the deal”.
Weather for tomorrow, Highs in the mid 2000s.
Bright, only singuler cloud cover, winds to 300 mph.
Guess they will just have to fast all year until next time!!!
I always thought it had something to do with that kid on Johnny Quest.
I can't imagine how many hindus and Sikhs I've wrongly offended.
I love the comments here! Snide and witty!
I’ve already booked the penthouse suite.
Maybe they were worried that the operatic prediction of Paul Potts would come true. (Leave a nice comment if you have a moment.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZzUSiFIIg8
Yep! However, most of these pilgrims do not use hotels, so the drop in reservations is insignificant.
Also, if you've ever been in an airport, on an airplane, one of the coastal steamers, or, even, on the thrilling highway across Saudi (Riyadh to Mecca) during Hajj, you'd know that swine flu would have to join the long list of contagious diseases that are prevalent in the migratory herds going to Mecca.
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