Riyadh (Special Report)
Hani Al-Omari, a member of the National Company for Hajj and Umrah and Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, said, “From Monday, August 9, 2 million people will perform Umrah every month.
The number of Umrah pilgrims in Masjid-ul-Haram has been increased. According to Saudi media, 130 Umrah companies and institutions have started receiving Umrah applications from abroad.
Saudi youth have been trained to receive Umrah pilgrims. A member of Hajj and Umrah and Ziyarat Qaumi Company said that Umrah permits will be issued through the Etemarna app.
Officials of Umrah companies and institutions will take Umrah pilgrims in groups for Umrah to visit Masjid-ul-Haram and Masjid-e-Nabawi for Medina and historical, cultural and religious places for tourism. Al-Amiri said that with the opening of the external Umrah, the number of residents in the hotels and towers located around the Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi Sharif will increase by 60 per cent.
Those who come for prayers in the holy shrine and prayers in the holy mosques will have the facility to stay in hotels and towers around the two holy shrines. Everyone will have to abide by Corona SOPs 24-hour cleaning, sanitizing, social distance and masks etc.
He further said that vaccination is a condition for issuing Umrah from inside the country, visit Masjid-e-Nabawi and prayers in Masjid-ul-Haram. Umrah pilgrims coming from abroad will have to attach a certified vaccine certificate with the government agencies of their country. It is also important to note that only one vaccine approved in the country has been taken.
Hotel quarantine restrictions will apply to those coming to the country from countries where entry is banned.
