Saudi Arabia has announced the introduction of an electronic facility for issuing visas to Umrah pilgrims within 24 hours on Thursday, June 2.
Muslims from countries outside of Saudi Arabia who wish to perform Umrah can now apply for the visa separately using a dedicated website.
The Umrah is a non-mandatory minor pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims can make at any time of the year.
The term of the Umrah visa has also been extended from one month to three months, according to Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia’s minister of hajj and Umrah.
“The visit visa for Umrah will be provided today within 24 hours,” Tawfiq stated.
Pilgrims performing Umrah in the kingdom, he noted, are free to travel across the country and visit other Saudi cities, according to The Cable.
In 2022, one million individuals are scheduled to undertake hajj, with 85 percent of them being foreign pilgrims, according to the minister.
He also stated that the ministry and other relevant authorities are working to secure the safety of all pilgrims, and that digital technology will contribute in the better organization of the 2022 hajj.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has issued a new circular to all airlines flying into Saudi Arabian airports, including chartered planes, outlining the health conditions that Hajj pilgrims must meet.
All passengers coming in Saudi Arabia to undertake Hajj this year must be under the age of 65, have completed immunization with basic doses of covid-19 vaccinations recognized by the Ministry of Health, and submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to departure, according to the circular.
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