The first group of Iranian Umrah pilgrims in nine years travelled to Saudi Arabia on Monday, following the restoration of ties between the two countries last year.
Eleven flights from as many airports in Iran took off for Saudi Arabia, Iran's official news agency reported, citing Mohammad Hossein Ajilian, who is in charge of Hajj operations in Iran Airports Company.
Iran and Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations under a Chinese-mediated agreement in March last year after they were cut in 2016.
Iranian media said in December the kingdom had lifted restrictions on Iranians wanting to perform Umrah but flights were delayed due to what Tehran called “technical problems”.
Both countries had agreed to resume flights and bilateral visits of official and private sector delegations.
The first flight left from Mashhad, to be followed by flights from Zahedan, Ahvaz, Tabriz, Yazd, Kerman, Bandar Abbas, Sari, Isfahan and Shiraz before the final flight from Mashhad on May 2.
Iran suspended flights to Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrims in April 2015 over allegations that Saudi security officers assaulted two male Iranian pilgrims travelling through Jeddah Airport as they returned from Makkah.
In September of the same year, a stampede during Hajj led to 769 deaths, with Iranian pilgrims accounting for 464 of those killed.
Before ties were restored, Iranians had only been able to perform the annual Hajj pilgrimage that all Muslims are expected to undertake at least once. and which is subject to strict quotas for each country.
Umrah can be performed at any time and is not deemed compulsory.
Both countries have since agreed to reopen embassies and consulates and reinstate economic agreements signed more than 20 years ago.
Iran reopened its diplomatic missions in Riyadh last June. Consulate services in Jeddah also resumed shortly after.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Kanguva
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