Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has announced that foreign Umrah pilgrims would be permitted to enter the country only in the third phase of the resumption of the suspended Umrah services. The kingdom will take a decision on which countries will be allowed to send their pilgrims to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.
The list of countries from which pilgrims would be permitted will be disclosed after the decision is taken.
According to the Minister of Hajj and Umrah Muhammad Saleh Benten, in the first phase of resumption of Umrah service for domestic pilgrims, which will be effective from October 4, only 12 groups of pilgrims would be allowed to perform Umrah within 24 hours in the first phase.
Gulf Business quoted him as saying, “The pilgrims will be divided into groups and each group will be accompanied by a health professional at the Haram. Only pilgrims between the ages of 18 and 65 years will be allowed in the first phase.”
Saudi citizens and expatriates as well as their families in the kingdom can register their names in ‘I’tamarna’ app, to perform Umrah pilgrimage as well as to visit and worship at the Two Holy Mosques.
Citizens and expatriates will be allowed to perform Umrah in the first phase, starting from Sunday, October 4. 6,000 pilgrims will be allowed to perform Umrah per day.
Umrah was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak in early March.