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

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.