Umrah bookings available for first half of Ramadan via Nusuk app

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has opened bookings via the Nusuk app for Muslims planning to perform the Umrah or minor pilgrimage for the first two weeks of the upcoming Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The congestion indicator on the booking page showed that the first day of the lunar sacred month, expected to begin on March 1, recorded moderate reservations, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah reported without giving specific figures.

Meanwhile, bookings related to the first two Fridays in the month, recorded an increase, while bookings for the rest of the days are still low.

Ramadan traditionally marks the peak season of the Umrah in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s most sacred place in the Saudi city of Mecca, amid stepped-up preparations from authorities in the country to cope with the expected influx of worshippers.

Muslims from inside and outside Saudi Arabia, Islam’s birthplace, flock to the Grand Mosque during Ramadan to perform prayers and Umrah.

The current season of Umrah, which can be undertaken around the year, began in late June after the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The main rituals of the Umrah are encircling the Holy Kaaba in the Grand Mosque for seven times, a rite known as Tawaf, and likewise walking back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah, a rite called Sa’i in the Grand Mosque.

Many pilgrims also head to the Prophet’s Mosque, the second holiest place in Medina, and visit other Islamic landmarks in the city.