RIYADH — The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has issued 23 million Umrah permits since the beginning of the season, the spokesperson of the Hajj and Umrah services Eng. Hisham Al-Saeed said. Al-Saeed said that citizens, residents and visitors coming from outside the Kingdom have benefited from the service of issuing Umrah permits during the holy month of Ramadan. Periods are still available for people who wish to book Umrah, Al-Saeed confirmed, noting that the number of people wishing to perform Umrah is huge, specially after King Salman announcement to allow the use of the full capacity of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. This announcement came after lifting the precautionary measures and preventive protocols that were introduced to stem the spread of the pandemic. Al-Saeed welcomed the pilgrims as he said, "We are ready for any number". The field efforts of the Special Forces for Hajj and Umrah Security, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah represented by field cadres, fully prepares the Two Holy Mosques for this number of pilgrims, Al-Saeed said. He noted that the field cadres are ready to manage crowds in its usual professional manner. A total of 56 countries have benefited from the service of issuing Umrah permits before entering the Kingdom till this moment, helping those wishing to perform Umrah to plan the appropriate trip for them. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had earlier enabled the holders of all types of visas to book appointments to perform Umrah before entering the Kingdom through Eatamarna application. Those wishing to perform Umrah must issue a visa to enter the Kingdom, the ministry said, stressing the importance of ensuring its validity period when registering and booking in the Eatamarna app. The Umrah permit would be automatically canceled if the person has been infected with the COVID-19 or had been in contact with an infected person, and if the visa holder does not enter Saudi Arabia 6 hours before the date he is booked to perform Umrah.
