Saudi Arabia says that it will resume accepting Umrah pilgrimage requests for vaccinated foreign worshippers starting on August 9, according to Al Jazeera.
The declaration occurred approximately 18 months after the monarchy closed its borders to foreign pilgrims due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by official media early on Sunday.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, authorities at the ministry in charge of foreign pilgrims would begin “receiving Umrah requests from various countries of the world” on Monday.
Permits would be issued to 60,000 Umrah pilgrims each month at first, but the number will eventually grow to two million every month, according to the report. It said that overseas pilgrims must submit approved COVID-19 vaccination certificates with their Umrah requests.
Vaccinated pilgrims from nations on Saudi Arabia’s no-entry list will be quarantined upon arrival, according to the statement.
Umrah and Hajj pilgrimages, which are typically major economic generators for the monarchy, were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the pandemic, Saudi Arabia suspended the Umrah, but it was restored to immunized domestic worshipers in October of last year. The Hajj took held in July this year and last year, but only a small number of domestic pilgrims were allowed to go.
