Saudi Arabia to lift ban on Foreign Umrah pilgrims after 1.5 years!

Moscow: Saudi Arabia will begin receiving the requests from foreigners willing to make the Umrah pilgrimage next week, 1.5 years since the kingdom closed the borders for worshipers, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said.

Last year, Saudi Arabia suspended the Umrah due to the pandemic, but resumed it in October 2020 for domestic worshipers only, given they were fully COVID-19 vaccinated.

The ministry has announced that starting August 9, it will process the addresses from the Muslims from all over the world regarding Umrah.

The obligatory condition for the overseas worshipers is a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, and the vaccine must be registered in Saudi Arabia. At the moment, the country's vaccine portfolio includes Moderna, Johnson&Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer.

The authorities plan to welcome up to 2 million pilgrims a month including both citizens and incomers.

The Umrah is a pilgrimage in Islam to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina that can be made any time of the year, unlike the annual Hajj. (UNI)