Riyadh: Seventy Qatari nationals had arrived in the Saudi city of Jeddah to perform the Umrah amid a diplomatic row between the two Gulf countries.
They arrived late Friday at the King Abdul Aziz airport in Jeddah, marking the first batch of Qatari pilgrims, Dubai-based television Al Arabiya reported.
A humanitarian team handled entry procedures for them following their landing at the airport.
In a move aimed at facilitating pilgrimage procedures for Qataris, the Saudi government said Friday they could reserve Umrah services following their arrival in the kingdom without having to register in advance.
Last week, Saudi Arabia launched a new website to receive applications from Qataris wishing to perform the Umrah after their government had blocked a similar site.
The Umrah journeys to holy sites in Saudi Arabia peak during Ramadan.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar over its support for extremist groups. Qatar has repeatedly claimed that the Arab Quartet has violated its nationals’ travel rights, an allegation the four countries have dismissed as false.
