Amid escalating military tensions in the Middle East and widespread regional flight disruptions, Moroccan travel agencies say direct Umrah flights to Medina and Jeddah remain unaffected, though connections through Gulf countries may face issues. DR ‹ › Ramadan is the peak season for Umrah in Morocco, and many pilgrims are now wondering whether the escalating military tensions in the Middle East could affect their travel plans. Since Saturday's coordinated Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory missile attacks by Tehran targeting several countries in the region, airspace closures and flight disruptions have been reported across parts of the Gulf. For now, however, Moroccan travel agencies specializing in Umrah packages say direct departures remain unaffected. «At the moment, there are no cancellations, especially for direct flights from Morocco to Medina or Jeddah», the owner of a Casablanca-based agency with groups booked this Ramadan told Yabiladi. According to the professional, potential disruptions mainly concern flights with stopovers. «These include the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, and Turkey», he added. However, he emphasized that «most pilgrims take direct flights», reassuring that his company is «closely monitoring the situation and following announcements, particularly from Saudi Arabia, to keep our clients informed and updated». Direct flights remain unaffected so far Casablanca-based Wiki Tours International by Bab Makka echoed this assessment. «Most of our trips are with Saudia Airlines, direct flights from Casablanca to Jeddah or Medina», said Soumaya Guerssel, head of the agency. «For the moment, there are no disruptions», she confirmed, adding that return flights remain available, and nothing has been cancelled. She nevertheless acknowledged some uncertainty: «We cannot predict what may happen in the future. I only have one group traveling with an Emirati airline, and their return flight is at the end of April. Until then, we will see. If any issues arise, we will look for solutions». Regarding pilgrims' reactions, Guerssel reported no hesitation linked to the regional security situation. «I have a group departing today, and none of them cancelled», she said. Two other travel agencies confirmed to Yabiladi that none of their direct flights to Jeddah and Medina have been cancelled or disrupted so far. «We are noticing fewer new bookings given the current situation, but for those already scheduled, there are no issues», one agency told us on Monday. It is worth noting that Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has not issued any official statement addressing pilgrims regarding the current situation. Since the start of the security escalation in the Middle East, at least 11,000 flights into, out of, and within the region have been cancelled, affecting more than one million passengers.
