Dunes, Dhows and Dates: A Family Day in Dubai Before Your Umrah

Long journeys and young children don’t mix well. Anyone who has tried to keep a five-year-old happy through a seven-hour flight, a three-hour wait at a connecting airport and then another flight will know exactly what that means. By the time you reach Jeddah, everyone is tired and grumpy, and you haven’t even started your Umrah.

That’s why more families are breaking the journey in Dubai. Many UK Umrah Packages already route through Dubai, so adding a night or two there is often simple to arrange. It turns a gruelling day of travel into two easier ones, and gives the children a treat before the more serious part of the trip begins. This guide looks at how to plan a family stopover in Dubai on the way out, what to do with the children, and the practical points to get right.

Why stop on the way out?

Most stopover guides suggest stopping on the way home. For families with young children, there’s a good case for stopping on the way out instead. Arriving in Makkah rested makes a huge difference. Children who have slept properly are far more likely to cope with the crowds, the heat and the walking. Parents, too, will have more patience for the Umrah itself.

A day of fun beforehand can also help children feel the trip is partly for them. After that, it’s easier to ask them to be calm and patient at the Haram.

Paperwork for two countries

You’ll be entering two countries, so get both sets of paperwork sorted early.

For the UAE, British citizens can usually get a free visit visa on arrival. Family members with other passports may need to apply in advance, so check the official UAE government website.

For Saudi Arabia, you’ll need your Umrah Visa or tourist visa before you leave the UK. Most British passport holders can now apply online, either themselves through the official platform or through their travel agent. The key thing with a stopover is dates. Your arrival in Saudi Arabia will now be a day or two later than your departure from Britain, so make sure your visa covers the day you actually land in Jeddah or Madinah. Children need their own visa, and their passports must have at least six months left on them too.

Don’t forget the meningitis ACWY vaccination, which must be given at least ten days before you arrive in Saudi Arabia, and book your Umrah permit on the Nusuk app before you leave home.

What to do with the children

Dubai is one of the most child-friendly cities in the world, and there’s far more to do than you can fit into a day. Pick two or three things and don’t try to see it all.

• A desert trip. For many children, this is the highlight. Most tours collect you from your hotel in the afternoon, drive you into the dunes, and finish with dinner at a desert camp, often with camel rides and henna. Choose a gentle option without the fast dune driving if you have very young children.
• Dubai Aquarium. Inside the Dubai Mall, with a huge viewing panel you can see for free and a walk-through tunnel for paying visitors. Children love the sharks and rays.
• The Burj Khalifa. The world’s tallest building. The views from the observation deck are remarkable, and it’s best at sunset. Book tickets in advance.
• The Dubai Fountain. The fountain show outside the Dubai Mall runs in the evenings and is free to watch.
• An abra ride on the Creek. A short trip in a small wooden boat across Dubai Creek costs very little and gives children a taste of old Dubai.
• Dubai Frame. A giant picture-frame building with a glass-floored bridge at the top, looking over old and new Dubai.

If you’re travelling between November and April, the Dubai Miracle Garden, full of flowers shaped into animals and buildings, is another favourite with families.

Food and prayer

Food is easy in Dubai, as everything is halal. Children who are fussy about new food will find familiar chains in every shopping centre, and adults can try Arabic and Emirati dishes such as grilled meats, hummus and luqaimat, little sweet dumplings with date syrup.

There are mosques all over the city and prayer rooms in every shopping centre, so you won’t have any trouble keeping to your prayers.

Preparing the children for what comes next

A stopover is also a good moment to talk to the children about the Umrah ahead. On the evening before your onward flight, tell them the story of Hajar running between Safa and Marwa, or of Ibrahim and Ismail building the Kaaba. Explain that the next part of the trip will be quieter, with lots of walking and big crowds, and that they’ll need to stay close. Give each child a card with your phone number and the hotel name to keep in a pocket. Children who know what to expect are far more settled once they arrive in Makkah.

Getting Ihram right

This is the part families most often get wrong. If your onward flight from Dubai goes to Jeddah, the plane will cross the Miqat before landing, so adults need to be in Ihram before boarding. Change at the hotel or at Dubai Airport before your flight, and make your intention at the right time. Keep the Ihram in your hand luggage, not in the hold.

If your flight goes to Madinah instead, you won’t need Ihram until later, when you travel from Madinah to Makkah.

Practical tips for families

• Book a hotel close to the attractions you want to see, to cut down on taxi time.
• Take a light pushchair for younger children. Dubai’s malls and pavements are very pushchair-friendly.
• Plan outdoor activities for the morning or late afternoon. The middle of the day is hot for much of the year.
• Pack a light jumper. Shopping centres and taxis are kept very cold.
• Keep the evening before your onward flight quiet, so everyone gets a good night’s sleep.
• Weigh your bags. Dubai shopping can quickly push you over your allowance before you even reach Saudi Arabia.

Booking the stopover

The simplest way is to ask your Umrah travel agent to build the stopover into your package, with flights that leave a gap in Dubai. That keeps everything in one booking, with ATOL protection. Alternatively, you can arrange the hotel and tours yourself, though if a flight is delayed it’s then up to you to sort things out. Either way, leave enough time between flights so a delay doesn’t eat into your one day.

A day in Dubai won’t replace the meaning of the journey ahead. But for families with young children, it can be the difference between arriving in Makkah exhausted and arriving ready. And the memories of camel rides and fountain shows will sit happily alongside the memories of the Kaaba for years to come.