Saudi Arabia: Demand soars for Umrah in Ramadan
High reservations seen for first 13 days of holy month
Cairo: Reservations for performing Umrah or lesser pilgrimage in the coming Muslim holy month at the Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia are soaring, according to a local report.
Requests for undertaking the rituals have been very high in the first 13 days of the lunar month expected to begin on April 2 this year, Okaz newspaper said.
Reservations made on the app Eatmarna also showed high demand for Umrah on Fridays of Ramadan, while the 30th day of the month is booked solid, the report said.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia lifted most anti-coronavirus restrictions in the kingdom. This included scrapping physical distancing among worshippers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mohammed Mosque in Medina.
Authorities also cancelled mandatory PCR tests as well as institutional and home quarantine for arrivals in the kingdom.
In October 2020, Saudi Arabia gradually resumed Umrah after about seven months of suspension due to the global pandemic.