EDMONTON — A national non-profit is worried a recent spat between the governments of Canada and Saudi Arabia may pose travel challenges for Canadian Muslims leaving for the Hajj pilgrimage.

According to the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), anyone scheduled to travel to and from the country on Saudi Arabian Airlines with return dates beyond Aug. 13, should contact the airline or their respective travel agencies where the booking was made to assess alternate options for return travel.

Also known as Saudia — the Gulf kingdom’s state carrier — will suspend all direct flights between Canada and Saudi Arabia next week. The move comes amidst a growing feud between the two countries.

“Reports suggest that failure to confirm a return flight could mean travellers are denied boarding or denied entry into Saudi Arabia,” Leila Nasr, a communications co-ordinator with the NCCM, said in an email to StarMetro. “Travellers who fail to make alternate arrangements could also be prevented from returning to Canada and risk being stuck in Saudi Arabia for an indeterminate period of time.”

The Hajj — an annual pilgrimage undertaken by millions of Muslims from around the world and one of the five Pillars of Islam — takes place from Aug. 19 to 24 this year.

In recent days, Riyadh suspended diplomatic ties with Canada, expelled the Canadian ambassador and recalled its own envoy to Ottawa after Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her department criticized the regime on Twitter for its arrest of social activists, demanding their immediate release.

Angered by the condemnation, Saudi Arabia has also tried to sting Canada’s economy by halting future trade and investment deals and by cancelling lucrative scholarships that would have seen 15,000 of its citizens study in Canada. One media report said Saudi banks and pension funds were ordered to sell off their Canadian assets, although that report remains unconfirmed.

Edmonton-based Eco Travels specializes in booking Hajj travel packages. The company remains largely unaffected by the row because its made reservations on flights via Europe, but says passengers are nevertheless worried about the reception they may receive.

“People are a bit worried because of maybe what a reaction may be over there,” said Aminah Aboughoushe, an Eco Travels employee. “The best thing anyways when you go whether there was an issue is just not to talk politics with the locals.”

Several other travel agencies, however, have had to scramble to change reservations last minute because most tend to book flights from Toronto, she added.

“We don’t have any direct flights that are going to Saudi Arabia,” she said. “Our flights are going into Europe on Air Canada and then on from there.”

On Thursday, the airliner said in a tweet that it is “making a concerted effort” to ensure travel continues with “minimum inconvenience from/to Canada.”

“We are working closely in co-operation with out partners and other airlines to provide you with the best alternatives for your flight reservations and arrangements.”

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