News

Saudi Resumes Umrah Pilgrimage In Makkah After Over 6-Month Halt Amid COVID-19

RIYADH, Oct. 5  — Saudi Arabia resumed on Sunday the Umrah pilgrimage in Mecca amid strict anti-coronavirus precautions after a hiatus of more than six months, reported Xinhua news agency.

The first group of pilgrims arrived and performed Umrah at Makkah’s Grand Mosque early on Sunday, under precautions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque tweeted.

The photos uploaded by the Presidency showed pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba, the building in the centre of the Grand Mosque, while wearing face masks.

Since Saudi Arabia launched an application process on Sept. 27 for those who wish to perform Umrah, 108,041 permits had been issued for pilgrims by Oct. 1, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Umrah is a pilgrimage to Makkah and can be performed year-round. Saudi Arabia announced earlier that it would gradually resume Umrah pilgrimage in stages starting Oct. 4.

To contain the spread of COVID-19, Saudi Arabia suspended the entry of foreign pilgrims seeking to perform Umrah in Makkah or visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina on Feb. 27. On March 4, the kingdom also suspended Umrah pilgrimage for its own citizens and residents.

Saudi Arabia reported 390 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the total number in the country to 336,387, the Ministry of Health announced Sunday.

Source: BERNAMA

Adib Mohd

Recent Posts

SEACare 2025 Solidifies Malaysia’s Leadership in Southeast Asia’s Healthcare Landscape

Malaysia’s commitment to transforming its healthcare system takes centre stage this week as SEACare 2025,… Read More

7 hours ago

Drop: A First Date That Turns Into a Psychological Minefield

What happens when trust, trauma, and tequila meet at the same table?  That’s the unnerving… Read More

8 hours ago

SME Bank Collaborates with Autism Cafe Project to Empower Autistic Entrepreneurs

Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (“SME Bank”) has partnered with The Autism Cafe… Read More

8 hours ago

Pahlawan Malaysia 2025: Malaysia’s Premier Obstacle Sports Competition Set to Energize the Nation at the Curve, Mutiara Damansara

The Malaysia Obstacle Race Sports Association is proud to announce Pahlawan Malaysia 2025, the premier… Read More

8 hours ago

Tesla Malaysia is Celebrating the ‘Earth Week’ to Rewards Owners in Conjunction with a ‘Refer and Win’ Campaign

Embracing the mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, Tesla Malaysia launches the… Read More

8 hours ago

Malaysia’s Viper Niza Racing On The Winners’ Podium At The 12 Hours Of Spa Francorchamps

Malaysians Douglas Khoo, Dominic Ang and Melvin Moh raced to a podium finish at last… Read More

9 hours ago

This website uses cookies.