logo
Rising Demand for Economy Umrah Packages 2025: What Pilgrims Need to Know

Rising Demand for Economy Umrah Packages 2025: What Pilgrims Need to Know

Performing Umrah has always been a cherished spiritual journey for Muslims around the world. As 2025 approaches, the demand for economy Umrah packages 2025 is rising rapidly—especially among middle-class families, students, and first-time pilgrims. With growing inflation and evolving travel expectations, pilgrims are now seeking affordable, flexible, and reliable Umrah options.
In this article we ask what's driving this demand, what to expect from economy packages and how to select the perfect travel partner.
As the living expenses are increasing these days due to inflation all over the world, especially in countries, such as Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia, Muslims are looking for the cheap or economy umrah packages. The economy packages, which are 30 to 50% cheaper than the premium ones, enable people to obey their solemn call without much trouble.
Companies such as Umrah Companions are simplifying the search of ecomnomy Umrah packages 2025 from authorized agents. These apps cut out the middlemen, keep bookings simple and have a clear pricing system.
When travel resumed after COVID, many travelers tightened the purse strings. They have since put hygiene, flexibility, and cost above all else, some of the main aspects of economy Umrah packages 2025.
Even though economy packages are decently priced they're not synonymous with skimping on essentials. A well-designed package should include:
1) Visa processing
2) Return flight tickets
3) Warn 3 Stelle o Low cost (in dormitory)
4) Transport from Jeddah/Madinah to Makkah
5) Ziyarat tours (optional)
Some agents also do group packages for families, the more people in a group the less per person you pay.
Umrah packages might be a bit more expensive in Ramadan, Hajj, and School holidays etc. Go for Packages 3 – 6 months Early: Booking 3 – 6 months earlier may let you get the economy Umrah package 2025 at a lower price
To avoid accepting the first offering sent your way, compare at least 3–5 packages online. Websites like Funadiq. com and UmrahCompanions. com feature user reviews, package breakdowns, price comparisons and deal alerts. Check out the pockets friendly package here: Economy Umrah Package 2025
There are quite a few reported scams and fraudulent activities within the Hajj and Umrah industry. Do always make sure: Registration of the company Online presence like a website, Google reviews Office address & contact numbers Umrah license (if applicable) Pro Tip: Always try to use travelling portals like Alhaq Travel that only list verified agents to reduce risk
Unfortunately, every year, hundreds of pilgrims are victims of fraud. Scammers often promise cheap Umrah packages, collect money, and disappear.
🚩 Warning Signs:
1) No written agreement
2) Demanding full payment upfront
3) No office physical location or office space
If Do you have any doubt, check them on another veritable directory, you can also approach best Umrah travel agency that provide actual Economy umrah packages 2025 that fit for your budget.
Trusting anyone with your Umrah is not easy – How can you even trust anyone? That's where platforms like Umrah Companions offer a solution.
They specialize in:
1) Umrah packages 2025 Verified & curated
2) Listings with transparent pricing
3) Economy, standard, and premium options
4) Direct agent communication
Whether you're booking for one or for a group, you can find safe budget options on Umrah Companions. Time Period Cost Level Booking Advice January – March 💰 Low Ideal for off-season travel Ramadan 🔺 High Book 4-6 months early June – August 💰 Medium Suitable for students and families September – Dec 💸 Varies Check deals before school starts again
1) Keep documents prepared (Passport, CNIC, vaccination)
2) Carry Ihram, slippers, unscented items
3) Apps like Haramain info, Qibla finder, or even local maps.
4) If walking to the Haram is necessary, try to not have heavy luggage.
5) Observe the customs of Saudi Arabia, particularly regarding attire and way of behaving in public
Selecting an economy or budget Umrah package does not mean you are choosing the poor or low quality. With the right platform and some research, you can save yourself money without settling for a less comfortable or less secure experience.
So have a good directory, avoid dubious agents or unverified travel partners and here's to peaceful, spiritually enriching travel.
TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A New Challenge for New York Fashion
A New Challenge for New York Fashion

Business of Fashion

time3 hours ago

  • Business of Fashion

A New Challenge for New York Fashion

NEW YORK — At its midcentury peak, the streets of the Garment District — a stretch of Midtown home to New York's clothing manufacturing industry — were filled with so many rushing racks of fabric and A-line dresses it was hard to pass through. That romantic image is far in the past. Since the 1970s, the city's manufacturing capacity has diminished over 90 percent, according to the New York Economic Development Council. Today, former garment factories, workshops and storefronts sit abandoned. Still, it's the historic and operational centre of New York fashion, where third-generation makers and some of the industry's biggest names craft runway collections and Met Gala dresses. A new zoning measure passed by the Department of City Planning, or DCP, in June could change that. If approved by city council and New York mayor Eric Adams, as expected later this summer, the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan, known as MSMX, will lift manufacturing zoning protections to allow the neighbourhood's buildings to be converted into housing. The district saw manufacturing rules relaxed in both 2004 and 2018, and given the industry's shrinkage in the area, many consider the move overdue. Fashion wouldn't be pushed out, DCP said. In its environmental impact analysis, however, it found 114 fashion-related businesses, out of a total of nearly 500 still operating in the area, could be displaced, mostly due to the inevitable rent increases that would follow redevelopment. Opponents worry that in its current state, the plan could further harm an already weak ecosystem, still feeling the aftershocks of Covid's impact. While the Garment District is far from its height, it's not yet a relic. Brands — especially young labels — rely on the area's sample and pattern-makers, sewers, finishers, button suppliers and other specialised makers, and their close proximity fosters creativity and resource sharing. The impact wouldn't be immediate, but it could force some makers to either relocate or shutter altogether, which has implications for fashion. 'This perpetual erosion of the Garment District is an active dismantling of our creative infrastructure,' said Tessa Maffucci, assistant chair of fashion at Pratt Institute and The Fashion Workforce Development Coalition lead. 'What has made New York a global capital is we have this innovative, playful, break-the-rules model that works because of this diverse ecosystem of makers that are centrally located and clustered together. When we lose that, we don't get the next Ralph Lauren.' Of course, Ralph Lauren emerged from a different Garment District, over 50 years ago. Now, it mostly operates as an 'R&D hub' with small-batch production, said Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. He doesn't believe the rezoning represents a major threat to the district's primary uses. But as designer Jackson Wiederhoeft, who makes his namesake ready-to-wear and bridal line in the Garment District, put it, 'It's a beautiful plant that's teetering and needs more soil … instead, we're putting it into a smaller pot and chopping off fruit. It's never going to grow into a huge tree if we keep reducing the size of the pot.' The situation is one of many challenges New York fashion faces today. Last year, The Partnership for New York City, a business advocacy group, published a report with consulting firm McKinsey, alleging New York's status as a global fashion capital is at risk, citing lack of support for emerging talent, the closure of specialty stores, high operating costs, disintegration of manufacturing and a fragmented and increasingly negligible fashion week. There's no clear solution to these problems, with fashion businesses in the middle. 'The challenge is to work within a system that is in disruption,' said Stan Herman, designer and former CFDA president. 'We're not moving backwards.' Everything Is an Ecosystem While much of fashion has filtered out of the Garment District for downtown or even further out to Bushwick, Long Island City and Sunset Park (which the city pushed for in 2018), it's still the symbolic center of the industry. 'It's a representation of New York itself. You had a dream, and you came to New York to make it happen,' said Wen Zhou, co-founder and chief executive of 3.1 Phillip Lim, which launched in the early 2000s. Brands including Thom Browne, Carolina Herrera and Calvin Klein have offices, ateliers and showrooms in the area, and often work with local finishers and patternmakers on samples and special pieces. Up-and-coming designers, such as Kallmeyer, TWP, Meruert Tolegen and Grace Ling, in particular, benefit from the collaboration, speed and access it provides. As a fashion capital, New York's evergreen advantage is its proximity to culture and American consumption. But a fashion capital needs a strong talent pool, top schools to churn it out, retailers, a fashion week that attracts international press and buyers, access to funding, media and production capabilities, all firing in tandem. 'Every piece of it needs the other piece to continue to go,' said Sergio Hudson, the LA-based designer of his namesake line, which is made entirely in New York. Fashion 'is all about immediacy,' said Zhou, and local production creates a 'feedback loop' that fosters experimentation and efficiency. When 3.1 Phillip Lim was just getting started, 'the speed and flexibility made it feel like we were able to do anything and everything.' But it's also crucial for vendors themselves, many of whom now share employees, depending on the unpredictable ebb and flow of work. The opportunity to learn in the district is a huge pull for New York's fashion schools, said Naika Colas, associate director of fashion management at Parsons School of Design. Working designers rely on the district's experts in construction and commerciality. 'They know exactly what needs to go in these stores. They know what Saks wants, they know what Neimans wants,' said Hudson. 'My brand wouldn't be what it was if it wasn't for those people that poured knowledge into me.' For designers just starting out who can't meet minimums to manufacture abroad or manage importing complexity, local production is often the only option. But proponents say there are advantages for anyone, especially now, given president Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies. Brands don't have to take as big of risks on inventory and can closely react to demand without falling into a pattern of discounting, said Gigi Burris, a milliner and the founder of Closely Crafted, an organisation aimed at preserving American craftsmanship. Though as a brand scales, producing in the Garment District gets more challenging because of capacity. Underlying the real-estate struggle is a skilled-talent crisis, which spans outside New York. Plus, technology is relatively aged. Ready-to-wear label Tanner Fletcher, for example, got its start in the Garment District in 2020, but to meet growth goals, moved half of its production to a factory in China this year. 'We're able to make a lot more and the quality is really good … [even with tariffs] it's still more cost effective to produce in China,' said designer Tanner Richie. Evening wear and wedding collections are still made in the Garment District because 'we need to be fitting it on customers really quickly.' Changed systems reflect a changed world. While New York needs to 'preserve, subsidise and support the garment manufacturing industry,' strict centralisation around the district is not important because designers can do a lot remotely, said Gary Wassner, founder of financing and factoring company Hilldun Corp. Something is lost, though. 'You lose the feeling of an industry working together, you lose the feeling of energy, excitement and creativity, being part of an ecosystem,' said Wassner. A Fashion or Finance Capital? There is some optimism: Fashion stakeholders such as the NYFWDC, CFDA, Closely Crafted and Pratt Fashion want to harness the moment to secure support in a city where it's hard to come by, despite the industry contributing over $3 billion in annual tax revenue and immeasurable cultural impact. While other cities like Paris and Milan protect fashion as a crucial cultural export with tax and trade incentives, subsidised shows and support schemes, New York has toggled between inconsistent and laissez faire approaches. It also lacks the stabilising influence of luxury giants. 'Fashion is a big economic driver,' said Kolb. 'The city knows and understands that … but sometimes we are at a disadvantage because we don't get the government support that other cities get. Everything we do we're on our own.' The CFDA supported the 2018 rezoning, with the Economic Development Council promising $20 million in funding to aid in purchasing a fashion-specific building and tax abatements for landlords who house manufacturers, none of which materialised, said Kolb. The city also pledged funding to the Garment District Alliance (the neighbourhood's business development organisation), aimed at supporting the district, that the NYFWDC says has yet to be funneled to makers. 'You can point a lot of fingers,' said Kolb. But 'now in 2025 I want to see how you're going to make good on those promises.' In addition to re-upping pledges made in 2018, groups have advocated for expanding local workforce programs, and establishing a displacement relief fund for those negatively impacted. The CFDA has pushed for reconsideration of its 'The Local Production Fund,' a proposal that would offset costs to make in New York with credits to factories. Kolb said he feels positive about the progression of talks with the city. 'The garment and fashion sectors are important segments of the city's economy, and we are committed to investing in these sectors,' said Joe Marvilli, DCP deputy press secretary, in an email to BoF. 'We will continue to work with our partners across City government to identify how to support the district, including through non-zoning tools and small business support, as this plan moves forward.' Consistent business would reduce prices, said George Kalajian, a fifth-generation pleater who has worked with brands including Carolina Herrera, Khaite and Proenza Schouler. 'I have seven pleating machines. One is running almost every day. If two of my machines ran everyday, I could drop my prices by 50 percent. More work circulating here would be so much better for all of us,' Kalajian said. In New York, everything comes down to dollars and cents. The city has an affordability problem. Rising rents have quickened the pace of closures in the Garment District. Designers, meanwhile, lament the cost of showing, working and living as compared with other fashion capitals. In turn, some talent has seeped out. In the face of so many challenges, proactivity is important, said Herman. 'We have to be aggressive about how we feel about fashion, otherwise the world will pass us by,' Herman said.

The Fragrance Market's Squeezed Middle
The Fragrance Market's Squeezed Middle

Business of Fashion

time3 hours ago

  • Business of Fashion

The Fragrance Market's Squeezed Middle

Just a year ago, Nest was all about accessible luxury. The premium fragrance brand, best known for its home candles and diffusers, expanded its line into body sprays that launched at Ulta Beauty for $39 – a category that's been booming thanks to younger shoppers. But in May, the 17-year-old brand decided that upmarket was the way to move, wiping its Instagram feed clean and replacing it with its new Voyages collection of fine perfumes sold for $250 at Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman. The accompanying campaign, shot by photographer Nick Knight, lends it a higher-fashion positioning than past products. Knight told The Business of Beauty he spent four weeks photographing the fragrances with the goal 'to create images that live in your memory and your emotions.' Nest CEO Edgar Huber, who joined the brand in March 2023, said, 'One of the key elements we have identified for us is really to elevate the brand, make the brand more sophisticated, modernize it, [and make] it more attractive on a global basis.' Still, the body sprays are staying put at Ulta Beauty, and its core sub-$200 range of fragrances is remaining in retailers like Sephora. At first glance, this low-to-high oscillation might seem chaotic, especially in context: Nest's beloved founder Laura Slatkin announced her departure from day-to-day activities earlier in the month in the midst of its rebranding. But consumer desire for affordable scents you can layer and ultra-luxury fragrances that are cult-worthy reflect the current state of the fragrance market: price points low and high are booming, while prestige sales are lagging. ADVERTISEMENT According to data from Circana, sales of fragrances with an average price under $50 grew by 11 percent in the first quarter of this year, while those over $150 increased by 14 percent. The accessible spray categories continue to skyrocket, with body spray sales doubling their sales and hair perfumes up 70 percent. The $50 to $150 range, however – where the smaller sizes of classic icons like Chanel No. 5 and Miss Dior sit — has seen sales decline 3 percent. 'After Covid, niche kind of exploded,' said fragrance consultant Robert Sorce, a former president of Byredo who has also worked at Creed and Amouage. 'A lot of prestige brands are thinking, 'How do I really upscale to compete with those niche brands?'' Brands with products in the mid-price range — which is where Nest's core fragrances land, at $102 — have several challenges when expanding to both the high and the accessible ends of the spectrum. Both require a calibration of brand equity, whether that means elevation to support fine fragrance launches or preservation when going downmarket. Nest's revamp strategy has gone beyond an Instagram reset and high-end campaign. Behind the scenes, it has meant 'closing distribution we didn't want to have,' including combating third-party marketplace sellers on Amazon, as well as reducing discounts and promotions, said Huber. In addition, the brand has pursued more 'consistent and coherent brand expression' with packaging redesign. Stretching the Limits With the continuous popularization of niche fragrances well above the $250 price range, the price of what qualifies as 'luxury' fragrance has shifted far upward. The sub-$200 fragrances, typically designer in nature, feel inexpensive compared to niche labels pushing the boundaries of what fragrance collectors are willing to pay. 'The prices just keep going up,' said Sorce. Kering-owned Creed's 100 mL signature Aventus fragrance has climbed above $500, while Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge retails at $335 for 50 mL. Brands such as Roja can sell bottles over $3,300. The number of luxury fashion brands with upmarket fragrance offerings has steadily risen in recent years. Following Dior's La Collection Privée ($220 for the smallest size) and Chanel's Les Exclusifs de Chanel ($350), which debuted in the 2000s, Gucci came out with its Alchemist's Garden line ($280 to $415) in 2019 and Louis Vuitton launched its Les Extraits in 2021 ($585). Luxury fashion brands entering or restarting fragrance have skipped over the prestige category entirely and gone straight to luxury, such as Puig-owned Dries Van Noten with its collection ranging from $310 to $365 and Kering-owned Bottega Veneta's Colpo di Sole fragrance at $450. Even premium brands have climbed up, with Diptyque launching Les Essences de Diptyque ($330) last year. 'They saw this surge in niche and that people were paying for $500 for a bottle of Creed,' said Sorce. 'They were like, 'There's no price resistance, so we're going to cut out the bottom. It makes more sense to just invest more in the top.'' ADVERTISEMENT For Nest, the reasons to go upmarket were numerous, said Huber. He noted that luxury is the 'fastest growing sub-category of fine fragrances,' and has global appeal – while body sprays are a very North America-centred phenomenon. The new line will help the brand's goal of moving further into luxury retailers in Europe and the Middle East, he said. Margins are also better on fine fragrances, even with the higher cost of luxury ingredients, said Sorce. The High-Low Shopper While a highly concentrated eau de parfum with an expensive campaign is one of the only ways perfumiers can go upmarket, there are nearly infinite ways to go more accessible. In addition to less concentrated options like body sprays and hair perfumes, minis, rollerballs, and 'ancillaries' like lotions are all seeing high demand. These launches are still coming in rapid succession, with Boy Smells and By Rosie Jane both being the latest to join the body spray craze last week. 'I'm a prestige value shopper. I love beautiful products, but I also want to have an attainable price point that doesn't feel like a luxury,' said By Rosie Jane founder Rosie Jane Johnston, who launched a fragrance-forward body care collection in May. The most obvious customer for these launches is the entry-level shopper, which is as young as Gen Alpha, thanks to Sol de Janeiro. According to Huber, 64 percent of Nest's body mist customers are new to the brand, creating a ladder for shoppers who might upgrade to the core fragrances and Voyages eventually. More than ever, it appears masstige, premium and luxury brands are finding common ground, creating cheaper formats or ultra-luxe options. Few, however, are revitalizing their core segments. But the premium price range slump isn't affecting all brands equally, as popular designer perfume franchises remain resilient: LVMH listed Dior's J'adore as one of its scents with 'enduring appeal' in its first-quarter 2025 earnings report. Buzzy scents like Glossier You have won over TikTok and brought newness to the classic category. As more luxury brands like Balenciaga plan their entries and re-entries into fragrance, it's unlikely that new launches will be in the $100 price range, according to Sorce. 'They'll look at more of the $200-and-above range,' he predicted. Sign up to The Business of Beauty newsletter, your complimentary, must-read source for the day's most important beauty and wellness news and analysis.

Automation in the age of austerity: Why local governments are turning to civic tech
Automation in the age of austerity: Why local governments are turning to civic tech

Business Journals

time3 hours ago

  • Business Journals

Automation in the age of austerity: Why local governments are turning to civic tech

For decades, the relationship between government and technology has been complex, with Silicon Valley historically shying away from public sector contracts, instead favoring growth, scale and lean cycles over procurement red tape. But history tells a different story when government inefficiency becomes too big to ignore. After 9/11, a group of technologists who had built anti-fraud tools for PayPal pivoted to national security, working with federal agencies to streamline data intelligence. That effort became Palantir. While national security and defense contracting is an equally vital and lucrative space in terms of government contracting work, it is far from the only area where the government could be looking for help from the tech world. Now, government technology — once a quiet corner of enterprise SaaS (software as a service) — is returning to the spotlight, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI). The drivers? Budget shortfalls, federal layoffs, post-COVID-19 labor shortages and rising public expectations for fast, digital-first service delivery. In Washington, D.C., where local revenues are projected to drop by $1 billion over the next three years, operational efficiency is no longer optional.* One of the most overlooked inefficiencies in modern government operations is returned mail, with over 6 billion mail pieces being returned in the U.S. annually, primarily due to outdated or incomplete addresses.* The consequences of lost mail can range from inconvenient to disastrous: notices like Medicaid or SNAP renewals, tax forms, jury summons and voter materials or critical documents from health care providers and insurers may arrive past billing windows (or not at all). Additionally, private enterprises spend billions on outbound mail that never lands due to outdated addresses. It was this problem — widespread, persistent and largely unsolved — that caught the attention of a pair of D.C.-based entrepreneurs behind a new software venture named Sapphire LLC. After exiting two prior businesses in the private sector, the founders Almustafa El Hillo and Deron Cooper set out to identify high impact but underserved administrative problems in government. Having spent years participating in and watching D.C. government performance hearings and internal oversight sessions, one issue appeared across departments from health care to housing: returned mail. The mail was coming back by the thousands and no one had a modern solution. Enter the first product from Sapphire: a cloud-based platform that automates return mail processing using AI. The product syncs with an organization's existing address book or CRM, reads uploaded envelopes, scans USPS databases for change-of-address data and reaches out to recipients automatically to retrieve updated addresses. It then syncs those corrected addresses back into the organization's system. In short, it replaces hours of manual follow-up with seconds of automated processing. The technology is currently patent pending in the U.S., filed under the provisional title: Systems and Methods for Intelligent Return Mail Processing and Address Management. is one of a growing wave of startups emerging with software that doesn't reinvent the wheel — it simply helps the wheel spin faster. Governments at every level are facing personnel shortages and operational bottlenecks. Currently, agencies, public and private alike, must process each returned envelope manually. The current manual process: open it, review the undeliverable code, attempt outreach and then update records — and that's assuming an updated address is even provided. The labor cost is significant, with estimates ranging from $5 to $20 per envelope — multiply that by the thousands (or millions) of mail pieces some institutions send each month and the inefficiency compounds. How can it be integrated into already existing mailroom practices? Currently, the conventional workflow of processing return mail is an email, text and a voice call — all sent out manually. Sapphire has automated this entire process so that an email, text and voice call can be customized to any organization with the push of a button. Specifically for the voice call, Sapphire is utilizing an emerging AI technology that can detect the tone of someone's voice and tailor its responses to better interact with the recipient of the call. According to its founders, utilizing cuts processing times by more than 80%, making it an invaluable new tool for large organizations and their employees alike, who will not have to spend hours tediously searching for updated addresses. While the process itself is being automated, a human will still provide oversight to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. While automation often leads to questions around job displacement, solutions like are tools that empower teams to be more efficient and are being met with increasing interest. This is especially true in cities like Washington, D.C., where operational budgets are shrinking and the cost of inefficiency is growing. Sapphire recently began putting pilot programs in motion, with initial testing beginning with government agencies and university mailrooms, two of the many environments where return mail presents a daily operational challenge. Many Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) firms, from call centers to helpdesks, could benefit from Sapphire's software, which it has developed with It is the first in what could become a suite of products that automate large-scale workflows. In the coming weeks, Sapphire will conduct demos of the product with interested organizations before officially launching it in the next one to two months. If you would like to schedule a demo or learn more about Sapphire and you can contact them on their website. Discover how is helping government agencies and businesses cut costs and boost efficiency with AI-powered automation. Learn more or request a demo at

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store