Web Report

There is good news for Muslims around the world as Saudi Arabia has indicted for the gradual resumption of Umrah pilgrimage from October 4, the Kingdom’s interior ministry announced on Tuesday. The Umrah pilgrimage was suspended seven months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The interior ministry said that in the beginning only 6,000 citizens and residents within Saudi Arabia will be permitted to perform Umrah per day from October 4.

It is also stated that starting from November 1, visitors from outside Saudi Arabia will be allowed with Umrah’s capacity 20,000 pilgrims per day.

The Umrah is referred to the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah that can be undertaken at any time throughout the year and it attracts millions of Muslims from across the world every year.

The interior ministry also mentioned that Umrah would be permitted to resume at full capacity once the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is finished.

The Kingdom suspended the Umrah pilgrimage in March this year and also scaled back the annual Hajj by not allowing people coming from outside the Kingdom for Hajj to avoid the spread of COVID-9.

The interior ministry announced that the decision to restart Umrah pilgrimage was in response to the “aspirations of Muslims home and abroad” to perform the ritual and visit the holy sites.

The holy sites of Saudi Arabia attract millions of pilgrims every year and bring revenue for the Kingdom.

The Saudi government hopes to welcome 30 million pilgrims to the Saudi Kingdom annually by 2030.