From Monday, Saudi Arabia will gradually allow pilgrims from abroad to visit Mecca for the Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage that, unlike the Hajj, can be done all year round.
The number of pilgrims welcome each month will rise from 60,000 to 2 million, Saudi state news agency SPA reported. The pilgrims who want to complete the umrah must be vaccinated.
The pilgrimage has been restricted for some time because of the corona virus. Last June, Saudi Arabia announced that foreign pilgrims were no longer allowed to enter the country. A limit was also set on the number of domestic pilgrims. Those measures are now being scaled back little by little.
Last month, 60,000 Saudis were allowed to participate in the Hajj, the traditional Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. They also had to be vaccinated. In 2019, 2.5 million believers went to Mecca. 1.8 million of them came from abroad.
–
