He is studying in Jeddah but lives in Riyadh, and he intends to perform ‘Umrah after the exams; from where should he enter ihraam?
Question

                I work in Riyadh but I study in Jeddah. I am intending to perform ‘Umrah from Riyadh, but after the exams. Should I go from Jeddah to al-Sayl al-Kabeer and enter ihraam for ‘Umrah from there, or should I enter ihraam from Jeddah?.
Praise be to Allah.
    The one who passes the meeqaat with the intention of 
    performing Hajj or ‘Umrah has to enter ihraam from there. See question no.
    33798 and
    36646. 

    You can delay entering ihraam for ‘Umrah until your stay in 
    Jeddah is over, then go back to the meeqaat and enter ihraam from there. It 
    is not permissible for you to enter ihraam from Jeddah. 

    The Standing Committee was asked about a student who is 
    studying in the city of Jeddah, but he lives in al-Qanfadhah which is 350 km 
    away. On Thursdays and Fridays he goes to al-Qanfadhah then he comes back to 
    Jeddah. If he wants to do ‘Umrah, from where should he enter ihraam? 

    They replied: 
If you set out for ‘Umrah 
    from Jeddah then you should enter ihraam from Jeddah, and if you form the 
    intention whilst you are in al-Qanfadhah then you should enter ihraam from 
    the meeqaat of the people of Yemen. 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah 
    wa’l-Ifta’, 11/136 

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about a man who traveled from 
    his country to Jeddah, then he wanted to do ‘Umrah. Should he enter ihraam 
    from Jeddah? 

    The answer: 

    One of two scenarios must apply in this case: 

    1 – This person traveled to Jeddah without any intention of 
    performing ‘Umrah, then the idea of ‘Umrah occurred to him whilst he was in 
    Jeddah. So he should enter ihraam from Jeddah and there is nothing wrong 
    with that, because of the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with 
    him) which mentions the meeqaats. He said: “… and whoever is within these 
    boundaries can enter Ihram from the place he sets out from, and the people 
    of Makkah can start from Makkah.”

    Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1524; Muslim, 1181. 
2 – If he came from his 
    country with the intention of performing ‘Umrah and firmly resolved to do 
    so. In this case he has to enter ihraam from the meeqaat that he passes 
    through, and it is not permissible for him to enter ihraam from Jeddah, 
    because that is closer to Makkah than the meeqaat, and it was proven that 
    the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, when he 
    defined the meeqaats:  “And these meeqaats are for the people at those very 
    places, and besides them for those who come through those places with the 
    intention of performing Hajj and 'Umrah.” 

    If he enters ihraam from Jeddah and goes to Makkah in that 
    state, then according to the scholars he has to offer a compensatory 
    sacrifice, which should be slaughtered in Makkah and its meat given in 
    charity to the poor; and his ‘Umrah is valid. 

    If he did not enter ihraam from Jeddah after arriving there, 
    and he formed the intention to perform ‘Umrah before he reached Jeddah, then 
    he should go back to the meeqaat and enter ihraam from there, and he does 
    not have to do anything (offer a sacrifice). And Allaah knows best. 

    Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 
    21/291. 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was 
    also asked about a group of pilgrims who resolved to perform Hajj. They are 
    people from Riyadh who had been sent to do some work at the airport at 
    Jeddah. Some of them resolved to perform Hajj ifraad, some to perform 
    tamattu’ and some to perform qiraan, but they passed the meeqaat and did not 
    enter ihraam because there was a long time to go, nearly a month, from the 
    time they started their work until the Hajj season began. Do they all have 
    to offer a sacrifice or only some of them, depending on what their intention 
    was? 

    The reply: 

    With regard to those who intended to perform tamattu’, their 
    failing to enter ihraam from the meeqaat is a mistake which goes against the 
    wisdom of sharee’ah. It would have been better for them to enter ihraam from 
    the meeqaat and perform ‘Umrah, then exit ihraam and go to Jeddah. As for 
    those who intended to perform qiraan and ifraad, it is true that it would be 
    difficult for them to spend a whole month in ihraam; when the time for Hajj 
    came they should have gone out to the meeqaat that they had passed and 
    entered ihraam from there. If that was difficult for them and they could not 
    go to the meeqaat, then they could enter ihraam from Jeddah, but according 
    to the scholars they have to offer a sacrifice in Makkah and distribute the 
    meat to the poor. The same applies to those doing tamattu’ so long as they 
    have not yet entered ihraam. If they want to enter ihraam for ‘Umrah then 
    they have to go out to al-Sayl (the meeqaat for the people of Riyaadh) and 
    enter ihraam from there, then perform tawaaf and saa’i, cut their hair and 
    exit ihraam. 

    Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 
    21/291. 

    And Allaah knows best.