RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that it will accept Umrah requests starting from Aug. 9, 2021, for pilgrims to perform the Islamic rituals, and visit and pray in the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque, state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.

The issuance of permits will be through the applications “Eatmarna” and “Tawakkalna”. The ministry aims to reach 60,000 pilgrims distributed over eight operational periods, bringing the capacity to two million pilgrims per month.

The deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah, Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat, explained that the ministry worked in coordination with other authorities before the upcoming Umrah season to create a safe and secure environment for the pilgrims throughout their journey.

For locals and residents, vaccination for COVID-19 is a prerequisite to perform Umrah and visiting and praying in the two holy mosques.  Pilgrims coming from outside the kingdom must present an official certificate of vaccination from their countries, in addition to the vaccine being from the list of approved vaccines by Saudi Arabia. Arrivals must also adhere to institutional quarantine procedures. 

The deputy minister stated that the number of passengers on a transportation shuttle will not exceed 50 percent of its capacity, while maintaining a safe distance inside, and making sure of the permits of pilgrims issued through the applications before being allowed to board.

Meanwhile, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said it has completed organizational preparations to receive pilgrims from outside the Kingdom at the Grand Mosque from Monday.
The Under-Secretary-General for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque, Dr. Saad bin Mohammed Al-Muhaimid, said this included regulating entry and exit points and preparing all corridors, the courtyard and squares before the influx of pilgrims.
He said all field leaders in the Grand Mosque will monitor and evaluate operational plans and provide a safe environment.