Over 6m umrah permits issued in Ramadan

Cairo: Around 6.6 million permits were issued, allowing Muslims to perform umrah or lesser pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque in the Saudi city of Mecca during this past Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the Hajj and Umrah Ministry has said.

Ramadan, which ended on Sunday, is usually the peak season for umrah rituals and visiting the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque in Medina.

Performing prayers at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, does not require a permit, while an official permit is still mandatory for undertaking umrah.

The ministry said on Twitter that around 146,736 permits were issued during the lunar month for Muslim men and 116,045 for women to visit Al Rawdah Al Sharifa where the burial place of the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, is located at his mosque in Medina.

Saudi Arabia has seen an influx of pilgrims during Ramadan.

The kingdom has recently eased measures for performing umrah after largely relaxing restrictions against COVID-19.

Authorities have lifted several precautionary measures including cancellations of permits for praying at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mohammed Mosque.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has also said the immunisation check to enter both holy sites has been scrapped for all worshippers.