RIYADH: Umrah travel operators in Riyadh have doubled the price of the pilgrim’s tour package from the regular price of SR110 ($30) to SR200 for each person, and this will triple in anticipation of a heavy rush during the Ramadan season. This will further increase to SR300 during the Qiyam Al-Layl, the last ten days of the holy month, said tour operators in the Saudi capital.
But these games have a storied heritage across Saudi Arabia’s parking lots and roads.
For years, South Asian expatriates have taken part in these self-organised matches on the streets of Riyadh, Jeddah and in other Saudi cities. Wherever Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis go, it seems they take cricket with them.
Saudi Arabia is home to millions of residents from that cricket-mad part of the world, so it is only natural that street cricket thrives among these communities.
One of the organizations playing an important role in the rise of the game’s popularity at community level in recent years is the GK International Indian Sports Club (GKIISC) in Riyadh.