Good news for all those wanting to perform Umrah this year. The government of Saudia Arabia has launched its official statement regarding the umrah policy. The state will now allow all vaccinated foreigners to perform umrah. This is a good step towards economic progress after it was hit badly by the Covid-19.
According to reports by the Saudi Press Agency, after 18 months of shutting its borders to the world, the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia will be receiving requests from different countries regarding umrah pilgrimage.
The umrah pilgrimage is different from the annual Hajj. It can be performed at any time of the year or a person’s life and so it attracts hundreds of people from all over the world. On the other hand, Hajj is an obligatory prayer that should be performed at least once in a lifetime by physically fit and financially stable people.
Both these pilgrimages are a major contributor to the economy of Saudia Arabia as they make up around $12 billion on annual basis.
Before this announcement was made, only vaccinated pilgrims living in the state were allowed to perform umrah. In July, only 60,000 immunized residents of the state were allowed to perform the annual Hajj. Now, the state has loosened its restrictions and is welcoming tourists since the start of August.
The deputy Hajj minister, Mr. Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, released a statement regarding the requirements when needs to enter the state:
- One should be inoculated with a Saudi-recognise vaccine such as Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech
- They might need to go in isolation if necessary.
Moreover, the state has also planned out destinations and routes from where the pilgrims can pass in a periodic and preventive manner.
Not allowing the foreign devotees to perform one of the most prestigious pilgrimages has been disappointing. It has been worrisome for the Saudi government as well. The state is trying its best to come up with a safer environment. By allowing 60,000 pilgrims per month for umrah, it will gradually move to 2 million pilgrims per month when situations are better.
