Our 1st Umrah Trip DIY P4 | Arrival At Madinah Airport, Immigration Counter & Saudi Tourist eVisa

Alhamdulillah, we finally arrived at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah. The Medina Airport is relatively new and small but it has been named as the "best airport in the middle East" by size. The architecture is simplistic yet elegant. The airport also has a beautifully designed mosque. The minaret that it comes with is spectacular and redefines modern minaret architecture.
The immigration process is fairly easy and seamless. The line was relatively long but compared to JFK or Newark International arrival, it is not so bad. If you are like us, with Tourist eVisa, all you need to do is hand your passport to the immigration officer. He/she will scan your passport and then instruct you to place your right four fingers on the biometric scanner followed by the left four, and then both thumbs simultaneously.
The officers speak English but all of the female agents wear niqab so with the background noise, it is difficult the understand them even you speak a little Arabic. Once your passport has been stamped, you can then proceed out the baggage claim. Upon exiting, all of your luggage including purse and carry on will need to be re-scanned using the x-ray machine.
Background: Documenting our spiritual retreat journey from USA to Madinah & Makkah. This is our first Umrah trip and we're braving ourselves to do it DIY (do-it-yourself) instead of using licensed agents or using umrah packages.
Performing Umrah is a dream of all Muslims. Ordinarily those who want to perform umrah would go in a group. Umrah packages are designed to make the pilgrimage as convenient as possible. They typically include all the essential services, such as visa processing, transportation, accommodation, and meal arrangements, reducing the burden on individual travelers. Each group would be led by a Mutawwif (Umrah Tour Guide) who is a knowledgeable person (usually Imam, Ustaz or Sheikh) and will be responsible for guiding and taking care of you through all your Umrah rituals and ibadah step-by-step. Most participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia (spelled "umroh") would go in a group (jemaah) setting.
We have our own reasons why we chose to do it ourselves and we disclosed those reasons in the first and second video in this series.
Even though our videos are not designed as how-to's or step-by-step tutorial guide, we're hoping our experience will help you (as a reference) in case you might want to perform Umrah DIY. Here's the playlist for all of those videos if you're interested:
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A typical Umrah package generally consists of a 7 to 14-day trip through the cities of Makkah and Madinah. For a 7-day package, the itinerary consists of a 4-night and 3-night stay respectively. A 14-day Umrah package typically consists of 8 nights in Makkah and 4 Nights in Madinah.
Some of these packages are marketed as "luxury" or "five star" which include accommodations in the most luxurious 5-star hotels in Mecca and Medina and offering the view of Haram.
Umrah DIY can be an excellent option for those looking to save money or for those who want greater flexibility in planning their trip. In general, a Do-it-Yourself Umrah comes much cheaper than buying an Umrah package, but you can make it as expensive or inexpensive as you wish. However, careful planning, research, and effort are required to ensure compliance with the necessary requirements and regulations set by the Saudi Arabia government for Umrah travel.
Umrah is a journey to Muslim’s most sacred place; the holy Kaaba. Umrah is known as the minor pilgrimage, while Hajj is the main pilgrimage and one of the pillars of Islam. Unlike Hajj, Umrah is a voluntary spiritual journey that Muslims of every gender, ethnic group, color, social status and culture take in visiting the sacred place as a sign of their devotion to Allah, cleansing of one’s soul and an opportunity for Muslims to ask for forgiveness and pray to God.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once said “The pilgrims of Hajj and Umrah are the guests of Allah. They visited His home on His call, therefore Allah will grant them what they ask for.”
Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. The Umrah rites include Ihram, Tawaf Al Kaaba, Sa’i between Safa and Marwa, and the journey ends (tahalul) in shaved heads for men as a mark of rebirth and purity. Women would typically just clip a single lock of hair.
Saudi Arabia is opening its doors to the world through its new tourist visa. The eVisa will be a one-year, multiple entry visa, allowing tourists to spend up to 90 days in the country. The tourist visa allows you to take part in tourism-related activities such as, events, family & relatives visits, leisure, and Umrah (excluding Hajj) and excludes other activities such as studying.
Recording Date: February 7, 2024
Published By: MalayUSA YTC
Video URL: • Our 1st Umrah Trip DIY...

[@muhammadhaziq4576]

Have a blessed umrah uncle and aunt 😊🕋

[@MalayUSA]

Jazakallah thank you Haziq

[@mazilaabdulmanap9619]

Wow.. macam mana nak join diy Umrah ni

[@azim84]

Lama tak tengok malayUSA

[@MalayUSA]

Mostly video zaman "silam" dah lama tapi tak ada masa nak edit & upload. Anak2 dah besar skrg so ambik kesempatan semoga jadi kenangan & pedoman untuk mereka di masa akan datang...