Cairo: Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs and Call Abdelatif Al Sheikh has instructed the operation of an automatic multilingual service to answer queries related to the Umrah as the holy ritual resumed Sunday after more than seven months of suspension.
The round-the-clock service operates via the hotline 8002451000 will be available in several languages, according to the Saudi news agency SPA. The service is part of guidance efforts made for “guests of Allah” on rules of the Umrah and visits to the holy sites, Secretary-General of Islamic Awareness Sheikh Mohsen Al Harithi said. The service is provided in Arabic, English, French, Turkish, Hindi, Urdu, Hausa, Indonesian, Bengali and Amharic languages, according to the official.
Muslim male and female clerics will, meanwhile, be assigned providing face-to-face Sharia-based directives in designated booths, he said. Tips on preventive anti-coronavirus measures, set by health authorities, will also be offered as part of efforts to protect the pilgrims’ health.
According to a gradual plan announced by Saudi authorities last month, 6,000 Saudis and foreign residents in the kingdom will be allowed per day in the first phase to perform the Umrah amid stringent precautions against the spread of COVID-19. Muslims abroad will be allowed to go to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah as of November 1.
