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Flight-bus-car: How stranded UAE Umrah pilgrims reached home amid travel chaos
When airspaces closed, some residents returning from pilgrimage travelled by bus to the Saudi border, where friends and relatives drove down to bring them home
- PUBLISHED: Thu 5 Mar 2026, 5:20 PM
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As commercial flight disruptions continue due to Iranian aggression, some UAE residents returning from Umrah had to rely on road travel and the help of friends to return home.
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For some pilgrims, the journey back from Saudi Arabia meant hours on a bus after their planned return flights were suspended. They travelled from Madinah to the Saudi-UAE border and joined other passengers trying to find alternative ways to return.
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“We had completed our Umrah and were supposed to fly back to Dubai from Madinah. But after the airspace disruptions, there was a lot of uncertainty. We decided the best option was to take a flight to Dammam and a taxi towards the border,” said Abdul Hameed, an accountant and a resident of Abu Hail.
The journey, which usually would have ended with a short flight, turned into a long road trip as they travelled across Saudi Arabia to reach the Al Batha border crossing.
“We left Dammam at night and travelled for several hours by car,” said Abdul Hameed. “It was tiring, but we hoped to reach the border and find a way back to the UAE." He was picked up from the border around 10am by his friend.
After travelling from Saudi Arabia to the border, the pilgrims were finally reunited with their friends who had driven several hours from the UAE to pick them up.
Some Umrah pilgrims took a different route. After learning that flights might not operate as scheduled, they took a bus from Madinah to reach Sharjah on March 4.
“We spoke to our travel agent and requested to return by bus. Thankfully, we could make it as a few wanted to extend their Umrah trip,” said Sajid Alam, a salon owner in Sharjah. “When the agent told us the bus would leave in 3 hours, we packed everything and left.”
“It was a huge relief when we arrived in Sharjah after nearly 21 hours on the road,” the resident said.
Residents who went to Umrah during Ramadan said they initially planned to return to Dubai soon after completing their rituals, but sudden flight disruptions forced them to quickly rethink their travel plans.
“We were supposed to return shortly after finishing Umrah, but when we heard about the disruptions, we realised we might have to find another way back,” said Fazal, a multimedia professional. “Thankfully, we had friends in Dammam who were willing to help and accommodate us for a few days.”
On Tuesday, Fazal and his friends drove from Dammam to Abu Dhabi. “My 2 friends will spend a few days here in the UAE and will leave for Dammam soon. We pray that everything is settled soon and people may not have to go through the trouble on their return,” said Fazal.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.