Umrah insurance mandatory for overseas pilgrims

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has said that overseas pilgrims arriving in the kingdom to undertake umrah or lesser pilgrimage must have a medical insurance document securing the holder benefits of up to SR100,000.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the document is included in the visa fees and covers certain health cases, Okaz newspaper reported.

They are emergency cases, COVID-19 infections, accidents and death as well as cancellation or delays in departure flights.

In recent months, Saudi Arabia has introduced a set of facilities for performing umrah in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca and visiting the Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque in Medina.