Saudi Arabia: Umrah numbers from abroad to go back to pre-COVID-19 levels

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has announced it will receive more Umrah pilgrims now - and in line with the quota agreed upon with various Islamic countries before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah affirmed its readiness to receive as many Umrah pilgrims as before, saying that all preparations to receive pilgrims have been completed and that it has not faced any difficulties in receiving pilgrims from outside the country in recent days since the beginning of the new Umrah season.

“The ministry has the ability to cope with the influx of Umrah pilgrims in line with the quota granted to each Muslim country and the ministry is ready to deal with the number of pilgrims as in a normal situation,” Dr. Amr Al Maddah, Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj and Umrah services, said.

Al Maddah added that the Ministry of Hajj is working to pair its mobile apps Shaaer and Eatmarna to include all the services provided by the ministry in order for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to benefit from them in addition to expanding the scope of these services in the two apps.

Information about pilgrims

The Shaaer app was a great success in the last Hajj season as it contains all the information about the pilgrims’ ID, health and other services.

Shaaer smart card app is the official Hajj app launched by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to serve pilgrims and facilitate the performance of their rites in a spiritual and safe atmosphere and in line with health and regulatory controls and precautionary procedures to stem the spread of coronavirus.

Shaaer app was introduced during the last Hajj season. In the next phase, the Shaaer smart card app will be issued for Umrah pilgrims coming from abroad. The app serves as a digital identity for the pilgrim.

It contains the pilgrims' personal, health, and housing information, providing them with qualitative services and enabling them to record health information and review the schedules, as well as gain knowledge of the Hajj programme.

The app also allows pilgrims to know the assembly points and departure times from their housing in the holy sites, enabling them to choose meals through the menus allotted and receive alerts from the control centre.