Saudi Arabia has begun the preparations to host nearly two million pilgrims during the forthcoming Haj season, according to the Saudi Ministry of Haj and Umrah, which will be providing services to pilgrims in coordination with all agencies worldwide.
As part of the elaborate arrangements for the congregation to happen in the last week of June, the Umrah services, which are currently on, will be halted by mid of May, according to the ministry.
Speaking to the media, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan al Rabiah, Minister of Haj and Umrah, said that the country will be hosting two million pilgrims for the procedures of the annual holy ritual, whose preparations are fast progressing.
“We are progressing the works on facilitating procedures and on developing legislation that enables Muslims around the world to visit the holy sites and perform Haj to make the annual ritual a flawless one,” he said.
He said various development projects and improvement of additional infrastructure worth SAR 200 bn were going on to provide quality services at the two holy mosques and holy sites. The works include the Haramain Express Train that connects Mecca and Madina in a two-hour journey.
Additionally, the kingdom has lifted the limitations on the number of pilgrims attending this year’s Haj so that more pilgrims can use the facility. The ministry has earlier announced that the number of people who can participate in this year’s Haj will return to pre-pandemic levels, and there will be no age limit for Haj pilgrims.
Multiple entry visa:
Multiple entry visa has been introduced, and a provision that those who opt for this type of visa can perform the Umrah rituals has helped hundreds of thousands of believers to visit the holy sites and the historical places. People visiting the kingdom with an Umrah visa can now visit any city in Saudi Arabia, and any visitor to the country has been allowed to perform Umrah at any time since January 2023.
Nusuk platform:
This is an additional service to enrich the experience of people visiting Saudi, and it adds more value to the existing visa system after extending the Umrah visa period from 30 to 90 days, allowing Umrah to be performed for all types of visas and reducing the cost of comprehensive insurance.
Pilgrims from Oman:
As many as 14,000 people from Oman will be attending the Haj rituals this year through the Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs (MoARA) as per the agreement with the General Authority for Awqaf (GAA) of Saudi Arabia, wherein the number of applications received stands at 33,536 including 29,930 applications from Omanis and 3,606 requests from residents.
The 14,000 pilgrims include 13,098 Omanis, 500 residents, and 402 members of the official missions, including the MoARA and the ROP.
Those selected electronically through the e-sorting and e-selection process have been contacted directly.
Al Dakhiliyah Governorate recorded the highest number of applications, followed by Al Batinah North Governorate and finally Muscat Governorate.
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