The journey started one day when Sophia Sarah Addas simply asked a cleaning lady at her fitness club a humble question: The question that often appears in advertisements and many other contexts can be translated as follows: When asked what he or she would do if money was no longer a concern and she could be with people whenever she wanted, the cleaning lady, Shazma, stated, “I would go for Umrah.”
The Saudi expat and her family were touched to the core by the kind response that was given by Khadija. This they decided to make her dream come through and they arranged an Umrah trip by air fully paid for by them. Overall, the experience was life-changing to Khadija, whereas it planted an idea in Sophia.
Sophia following the story of Khadija contracting labour workers to go on Umrah trips in April 2023. Beginning of April, 2024 ‘U4LW’ mobilized five buses with 49 labourers each, while the sixth bus left on Saturday, the 3rd of August. So far, 211 of these blue-collar workers from Dubai were able to carry out Umrah due to the efforts of Sophia.
Ms Sophia who is the founder of Umrah4LaborWorkers and is also the Director of Deloitte Middle East realized that these hard working people did not have the resources to complete this religious duty. She supposes that giving them a chance to do Umrah may dramatically change something in their lives and characters.
Her idea spread through the workers’ shop very fast, and within a short span of time, she was approaching other workers telling them that they can be part of this new life. The response was massive, more so because workers from different background and organizations showed their excessive happiness and thanked for such an opportunity of serving this spiritual duty.
Some of the workers selected in the initiative were emotional and quite thankful at first. Muhammad Rafay, a machine operator who was selected, shared his thoughts: ‘’Praise be to Allah for this blessed and wonderful experience which is the experience of my whole life to go to Makkah and perform Umrah.’’
“The time spent in Makkah and Madinah it will be in the memory for the lifetime,”said Muhammad Faizan one of the electrician who experienced it.
“I am very happy you have fulfilled the greatest desire of my heart,” said Essa Jubair, a Careem driver who was among those who got a chance to perform Umrah through the tour.
Umrah trip is a two and half day trip with two nights in Madina Munawwara and three nights in Makkah but it has a very special and life transforming impacts on everyone. The journey by bus for 24hrs enables the workers to interact closely and also to exercise their faith readiness as they anticipate their next assignment.
Not only did it meet the aspirations of blue-collar workers spiritually but has also changed the lives of people.
“The response is overwhelming,” they cheer ecstatically ‘For only Dh1,500, their dream is realized,’ said Sophia.
“They support and motivate other workers in the process, as for the number of duas sent to our team it is beyond computation.”
The Umrah program can be for those who have never been on a pilgrimage and those with salary less than Dh 2000. In the year 2024, the programme dispatched 163 labour workers from April 14 to May 15. Sophie has vowed to take one million blue-collar workers to Umrah.
It is also aiming to organize a bus for female labor workers to perform Umrah once it gains a large number of applicants.
The package which is offered by the Company’s platform working in cooperation with Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais at a cost of Dh1,500 per person is for anyone interested in sponsoring an Umrah package for a labour worker. This includes visas, medical, travel, lodging, feeding, the wearing of Ihram and the direction of professional Umrah tours.
