At the same time, the scale is growing fast. According to Gulf News, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, Saudi Arabia welcomed over 15 million Umrah pilgrims, including around 6.5 million international visitors, a 10.7% increase on Q1 2024. In Rabi al-Thani (September 2025), a record 11.7 million Umrah pilgrims arrived in just one Islamic month. For Hajj 2025, official statistics show around 1.67 million pilgrims, with about 1.51 million coming from 171 countries, according to Siasat Daily.
This surge in Umrah travel, together with strong Hajj participation, shows how seriously Saudi Arabia takes improving the pilgrim experience through digital innovation and streamlined services. But with so many pilgrims travelling, and so many apps, platforms, and agents, choosing how to book can feel overwhelming.
The Challenge: Why Regular Apps Fall Short for Pilgrims
If you use a standard global booking app for Umrah, you are often left with a disjointed experience. You might secure a flight, but then you are on your own to figure out the visa, the train to Makkah, and the permits for the Rawdah.
The friction points are real:
• Disconnected Logistics: Your flight lands at 2 AM, but your hotel check-in isn't until 2 PM.
• Visa Confusion: You book a non-refundable flight, only to realize your Umrah visa hasn't been approved yet.
• Support Gaps: If your parents face an issue at the airport, a chatbot from a global app often can't resolve it quickly in Arabic.
Almosafer: Complete Travel Booking App Also Built for Religious Expertise
Almosafer is our top recommendation for Hajj and Umrah journeys because it doesn’t treat these trips like standard tourism. As Saudi Arabia’s leading travel company, Almosafer combines more than 40 years of experience through Seera Group with a specialised religious travel arm, Mawasim, which focuses on Hajj and Umrah.
Together, Almosafer and Mawasim bring flights, stays, airport transfers, and pilgrimage-specific packages into one ecosystem, supported by 44 World Travel Awards, including Mawasim’s 1st-place ranking among service providers in the 2024 Hajj season.
Here is why this combination is one of the most trustworthy options for your spiritual journey:
1. Connects Your Travel Bookings to Your Visa
The visa is one of the most critical parts of Umrah. With Almosafer and Mawasim, you don’t book a flight or stay “in a vacuum”; you can plan flights, stays, and ground transfers in one place, with support that helps you line up your travel dates with visa timelines and entry rules. Rather than promising visa approval, the platform helps you avoid common mistakes like booking a non‑refundable ticket before your visa or choosing dates that don’t match your permit window.
2. Integration with Nusuk (The Official Requirement)
You cannot perform Umrah or book a Rawdah visit without using Nusuk, the official government platform for Hajj and Umrah permits and eVisas. Mawasim, part of Almosafer, is an officially licensed and integrated provider of Nusuk and Nusuk Hajj, which means its packages and services are designed to work hand‑in‑hand with the permits you manage on Nusuk.
You still use Nusuk for your permits, but when you book flights, accommodation, and transport through Almosafer and Mawasim, your journey is aligned with the official channels, so you can focus more on devotion and less on admin.
3. Mawasim Expertise: 40+ Years of Service
Almosafer isn’t guessing what a pilgrim needs. Through Mawasim, it offers dedicated Hajj and Umrah solutions built on decades of pilgrimage experience and over 40 years of wider travel expertise. Mawasim focuses on end‑to‑end support for pilgrims from many international markets: flights, accommodation close to the holy sites, airport transfers, and on‑ground logistics. Backed by 150+ Hajj and Umrah agents across 20 countries, it understands which routes and services work best for different communities and age groups.
4. Omnichannel Support that Understands the Stakes
If you are sending your parents on Umrah, you want to know if someone has their back. Almosafer offers 24/7 support in Arabic and English through its app, website, WhatsApp, and call centre. For older travellers who prefer face‑to‑face help, Almosafer also has 38 retail branches across Saudi Arabia and one in Kuwait, where they can walk in, speak to a human agent, and get help with flights, hotels, or packages.
5. Financial Flexibility for the Journey
Hajj and Umrah packages can be expensive. The Almosafer app allows you to book flights and stays with 0% interest installments through “buy now, pay later” partners such as Tamara and Tabby, helping you spread the cost over time instead of paying everything at once. On top of that, Almosafer connects with key loyalty programmes like Qitaf, Shukran, Alfursan, and Mokafaa, making each pilgrimage more rewarding.
Essential Companion Apps for Your Journey
While Almosafer is your go‑to app for booking flights, hotels, and packages, your digital toolkit for Hajj and Umrah should also include these specialised apps to handle daily rituals:
Nusuk: An essential that you use to issue your Umrah visa (where applicable) and to book specific time slots for Umrah rituals and visiting the Rawdah in Madinah.
Haramain High Speed Railway App: A very convenient way to travel between Jeddah, Makkah, and Madinah, with schedules that work well alongside typical flight arrival and departure times.
My Dua List: A simple app to keep track of your personal supplications so you don’t forget anyone in your prayers during Tawaf or Sa’i.
Conclusion
For a journey as significant as Hajj or Umrah, the best travel booking app is the one that offers the most peace of mind. While you could technically book flights and stays on any aggregator, Almosafer offers a safety net that others don't. By combining flight and hotel booking with visa assistance, ground support, and deep religious travel expertise through Mawasim, it respects the sanctity of your trip by handling the logistics for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do I need a visa before I book my flight for Umrah?
A: It is highly recommended to coordinate the two. While you can technically book a flight first, you cannot enter Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah without a valid visa. Using a platform that handles both visa assistance and flight booking is the safest way to avoid scheduling conflicts.
Q: Can I book Hajj flights on standard travel apps?
A: Generally, no. Hajj travel is strictly regulated and often requires booking through specific government-approved platforms or licensed intermediaries rather than standard commercial flight apps. Always check the latest official ministry guidelines before attempting to book Hajj travel online.
Q: Is it better to book a package or separate flights and hotels for Umrah?
A: Booking a package is often safer and more cost‑effective. Bundling flight and hotel keeps logistics aligned (e.g., check‑in matching arrival times) and often provides a single point of contact if you face delays or cancellations during your pilgrimage.
Q: What is the difference between the Nusuk app and a travel booking app?
A: Think of them as partners. A travel booking app handles your logistics (flights, hotels, transport), while Nusuk is the official government app for spiritual permits (e.g., booking a slot for Umrah or the Rawdah).
Disclaimer: Data validated on Nov 2025. All values are subject to real-time changes.
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