Saudi Arabia to gradually lift ban on Umrah pilgrimage

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced plans to gradually lift a coronavirus related ban for Umrah pilgrimage starting early next month.

This was announced on Wednesday September 23, 2020, in a report by the country’s Interior Ministry.

According to the report, Saudi Arabia will gradually resume the year-round umrah pilgrimage from October 4, 2020.

The report states that “The Ministry of Interior affirms the Kingdom’s keenness to enable the pilgrims from inside and outside the Kingdom to perform the rituals in a safe and healthy manner fulfilling the preventative requirements and spatial distancing in order to ensure human safety.”

The Umrah, which refers to the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah that can be undertaken at any time of year, attracts millions of Muslims from across the globe each year.

The Kingdom suspended the Umrah in March and scaled back the annual Hajj over fears that the coronavirus could spread to Islam’s holiest cities.