São Paulo – Saudi Arabia said this week it will gradually allow pilgrims to take the Umrah, newspaper Arab News reported in its website. The Umrah is a pilgrimage Muslims can make to the Grand Mosque in Mecca any time of year. The biggest Muslim pilgrimage is the Hajj, which takes place each year at stipulated dates (pictured above is the Hajj in 2020).
The first phase of reopening for the Umrah starts October 4, which will see Saudi citizens and expatriates allowed to go to Mecca. Maximum occupancy at the Grand Mosque will be limited to 30%, or 6,000 people each day. A second phase is slated to begin on October 18, with maximum occupancy going up to 75%, or 15,000 pilgrims.
The third phase starts on November 1, with foreign Muslims allowed in and as many as 20,000 pilgrims allowed into the mosque each day. The fourth phase will see pilgrimage and visits back to normal, once Covid-19-related risks have gone away.
Visitor numbers during all phases will be overseen using the app I’tamarna, which the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will release to ensure health safety guidelines are met and to streamline travel reservations. The app will be made available on September 27, and decisions regarding each phase will be reviewed on a rolling basis as the pandemic unfolds.
The Ministry called on frequenters of holy sites to adhere to preventive measures, wear face masks, maintain safe distances from others and refrain from physical contact. It also said it wants to “empower pilgrims, both from inside and outside the Kingdom, to be able to perform the ritual in a safe and healthy manner.”
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
