It costs between 1 and 2 SAR, and it depends whether you’re in quick or not. For costumes it costs 8 SAR. Washing and ironing of a shirt cost 5 SAR.

You should pay attention when you traverse the road since Saudi do not always halt to let passengers cross the road, so you should avoid the risk of having an accident.

There no Internet free access I the Haram surroundings and 3* hotels. Cybercafes are rare and you should go farther to find a cybercafe.

Water Closets are located in front , behind and inside the mosque. The possibility of redoing ablution when required inside.

The commercial center which lies just in front king abdelaziz gate is called “wakf al malek abdelaziz “and it still under construction, yet a huge part of it has been constructed.

The four buildings situated in front of the Haram are 1 : “wakf al malak abdeaziz”, 2: Mecca towers center, 3- intercontinental hotel (dar al tawhid), 4-“al sawfa towers” center

In Mecca, there’s a lack in signs and billboards but there is always landmarks especially the huge clock which is situated in front of the Haram’s door and serves as Kibla.

You should know that there exists public transport just with the bus terminus in front of the Haram. You could take means of public transport to go anywhere, near or far from Mecca: Djeddah, Medina. The choice is yours whether to take an air-conditioned bus or a normal one.

The prices of goods near the Haram are more expensive compared to those far from it especially 3 or 4 km away (however there are taxis 24/24 with cheap prices: 1 to SAR)

On the Masjid Haram surroundings you find all what you need, hotels commercial centers, pharmacies, banks, telecom operators…

The sandwiches prices are between 5 and 8 SAR, however the dishes are between 10 and 16 SAR( sandwiches are sometimes of small size, you need to eat more than one). A bottle of water costs 1.5 SAR

During Ramdan and the period of Hajj taxis costs jump and increase considerably to reach even 5 times the casual prices. You should take better care and ask different taxi drivers to make sure not to get hacked

All the private cars are taxis and they are less expensive than taxis and practical. They take you to all your destinations, 2 or 3 SAR (equivalent of 50 cents of 1 Euro)

The riyal has been pegged to the dollar since 1986. One riyal equals to 0.2267 dollars and one dollar equals to 3.7502 riyals. One euro however equals 4.7938 riyals..

The pilgrimage to Mecca is compulsory only when one is fully healthy and wealthy enough to perform this rite without any debts or loans. The pilgrim must also ensure that the expenses of his/her Hajj or Umrah come from lawful and honestly earned revenues.

Further information on health precautions to be taken while travelling is available on the Pasteur Institute website.

Personal protective measures against insect bites as well as a cream against fungus, if you have a sensitive skin, are strongly recommended.

During the Ihram, pilgrims must not cut their nails, or do whatever that is likely to cause any bleeding, even minor. Thus, dental care, for example, is rather prohibited. Pay due attention for taraumatic risks (jostling) too.

Some drugs can cause allergic effects in the sun! If you are having a long-lasting treatment, please seek your doctor’s advice.

If you take prescribed medicines, Make sure to have a sufficient quantity with you. However, most non-prescribed drugs are available in drugstores in Mecca in addition to the Quaba’s nearby hospital which provides free care and medicine.

Please check the hygiene of the places where you eat. In the district of Haram, avoid restaurants where hygiene seems doubtful. Double-check the cleanliness of the places before ordering. Wash your hands thoroughly before each meal (it is always desirable to have your personal soap in your bag).

Make sure you prepare yourself well before your departure: The journey between Medina and Mecca is generally by bus and may take several hours (up to 10 hours). On the road, it is not certain that you find clean food or toilet. Get ready and have a rest before this trip.

It is strictly banned to carry in your luggage perishable foodstuff in large quantities; alcohol or any illegal substances. This might engender a death sentence.

On summer, heat is sweltering and daytime temperatures are around 45C ° and more. However, on winters, the morning is rather mild and the evening very cold. Please make sure you have the right clothes that fit this kind of weather.

Make sure you always carry a copy of your passport, visa, ID card, airline tickets and contact information (name, address and phone number of people in your country to contact if necessary). It is also mandatory to have the name and telephone number of your escort in Saudi Arabia.

Avoid congestion before your departure. Take only what you really need. You will easily find the rest on site at attractive prices. Make sure you also inquire about the luggage's weight you would be allowed to (generally, 20 to 30kg + 10kg for carry-on luggage). Please note that you are allowed to 10kg of Zemzem water for free when you return.

To have an Imam in your group is important for you to overcome pilgrims’ poor preparation. This will ensure a proper performance of rituals obligations. Talk to your agency.

Each year, Saudi Arabia initiates quotas on the number of pilgrims allowed to perform Hajj per country and per agency. It is according to these quotas that visas are granted. It is essential to have a special visa forfor "Hajj" to be allowed to make one's pilgrimage

Beware of low prices charged by the agencies. You might get scammed. Make sure you systematically have a receipt for any cash-payments you make.

Always use your own prayer-carpet which you keep with you all the time. This will spare you from inhaling the soil which in spite of the enormous health care efforts is not always clean. Mind that there are no prayer-carpets in the Haram.

In Medina, you might come across youngsters who claim to have lost their money and cards (they often would say that happened in Mecca). They would ask for a lot of money (they would even suggest to accompany you to the hotel to get as much money as they possibly could). To distinguish them from those who have really been hacked (hence in need for help) you have to ask for a real proof (provided by the police).

At your arrival in Saudi Arabia, consider making your foreign exchange transactions in a bank, ideally away from commercial areas around Haram. Likewise, you get the best rates and avoid paying exorbitant commissions (especially during the days of Hajj when rates and commission change).

After calculating your budget, ask your bank for traveler’s checks. These are always the safest way to carry a great sum of money rather than the cash method.

A visit to the dentist is required...Do not hesitate.

Save by email all the phone numbers and useful contacts (friends, emergency, hotel address, a person to be contact in case of emergency, your codes, etc.). This is a pertinent way that can provide you with help in case of the loss of luggage or papers .

You can scan all your documents and send them by mail to your personal email box. In this way, they will be within your reach at any moment.

Make photocopies of all your documents and leave a copy with a family member or someone you trust who can send them if ever lost or stolen (passports, visa, insurance card, plane tickets, etc..)

We highly recommend for anyone who wants to perform the Hajj or Umrah, to study the rituals of the pilgrimage in the lights of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah in order to avoid variance (See the rites of Hajj and Umrah section)

Remember that 90% of the rites of pilgrimage are invocations (for Tawaf Al, Al Saaya, Arafat, etc..). It would be very useful to prepare them beforehand. You can get started with a book or a guide, but it would be preferable to use your own invocations during these rituals. This would be even better than repeating after a guide or a large group (you may disturb other pilgrim and not feel what you say, etc.)

Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses, lightweight clothing in natural fibers, and by applying filter products on the exposed skin (When you are not in Ihram). During Arafah, if you leave your tent predict an umbrella (for men who can put anything on the head), you may spend long hours under the sun.

Avoid any contact with animals, even the domestic ones: rabies is wide-spread worldwide. Even though its main vectors are the dogs, all mammals (cats, monkeys, bats, fennecs, camels…) can transmit the virus responsible for the disease. This is contained in the animal’s saliva. The transmission can be made not only through biting or scratching, but also through licking a wound, however slight, or through contacting the saliva with a mucous...

The pilgrimage to Mecca will expose you to a real intimacy with the other pilgrims; you all will share meals, rites, prayers, and even hotel rooms. It is important to learn to cohabit with other Muslims. You need to be more helpful and more friendly. Do not hesitate to give way to the eldest, share information which the others need, give advice, be pleasant, etc.

If you are used to sleep 8 hours a day and to take your car to buy some bread at the corner, you are not really ready for the efforts which you will be making during your Hajj or Umrah. It is crucial to properly adapt one’s body to physical effort before undertaking such a challenging journey. You need to consider this preparation several weeks in advance. However, you do not need huge efforts; few small exercises will do. Get used to walk...

A good travel guide is a real friend throughout your Hajj. It is necessary to choose your guide beforehand. It is also important that you get to know your guide and to be aware of his utility, his strengths and his weaknesses. It is worth noting that you may miss a lot of opportunities if you travel without a guide. You will prevent yourself from taking advantage from a huge amount of touristic information coming from the experience of thousands...

The traveler’s checks that you can obtain beforehand help you to save time and to avoid walking with a lot of cash especially in countries where the use of bank cards is not that widespread. In addition, having cash on the pockets is too risky (in case of loss or theft), the use of a credit card may be exorbitant apart from its being risky abroad(fraud, loss, etc.) and ambiguous as transaction (cost, exchange rate, etc.). Henceforth, the...

The plane is known to be the safest means of transportation. Compared to all the means of transport, the car is the most dangerous ( the risk of dying in a car accident is 30 times higher compared to a bus accident, 45 times compared to a rail accident and 90 times compared to plane crash). The accidents rate is about two accidents per 1 million flights in the world. Apart from that, plane manufacturers are bound to a number of requirements...

APS provides its members with the security provided by the Code of Tourism and its implementing regulations. However, the APS focuses under the guarantee, the provision of alternative services in case of financial failure characterized by one of its members.

SNAV, "The Travel Professionals" brings together more than 70% of travel agencies. Its mission is primarily to protect the industry with the negotiations it carries on in particular those related to public authorities (national and European) and to other stakeholders namely rail, sea or airlines

By its IATA approval, the agency is entitled to reserve and issue tickets for all major airline companies. This accreditation is awarded on the basis of a solid financial guarantee (deposit) and on a careful analysis of company balance sheets over several years. Its renewal is conditioned with the respect of air commitments. This global association brings together all major airline companies (freight and passengers). It (akin to transportation...

Make sure your agency is affiliated with SNAV (Syndicat National des Agents de Voyages: National Union of Travel Agents) and / or PSA (Professional Association of Solidarity) and / or IATA (International Air Transport Association). This would be an additional guarantee.