Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Saturday welcomed the first batch of overseas pilgrims to mark the beginning of the Umrah season in the new Islamic year.
The visa request for the Umrah season began on July 14, the authorities initiated the pilgrimage on Saturday.
In a statement marking the start of the season, The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said, “In conjunction with the arrival of pilgrims from abroad to the Grand Mosque, the presidency continues to implement field services according to standards that take into account the latest developments in service excellence to create a safe worshipping environment and provide the finest services to the pilgrims of the Grand Mosque from all over the world.”
As part of the preparations to provide services during Umrah the authority has emphasised on crowd management plans, and prepared the Grand Mosque in Makkah and its courtyards to facilitate the Umrah rituals for pilgrims with ease and tranquillity reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Susequently the authority has also planned to facilitate the return of overseas pilgrims at the end of the Umrah season entrances had been allocated to pilgrims to ensure the smooth movement of crowds.
