Cairo: Saudi authorities have said that overseas Muslims with visas issued for performing umrah or lesser pilgrimage are allowed to move across the kingdom during their stay.
“The stay duration for arrivals on Umrah visas are 30 days,” the Ministry of Umrah and Hajj was quoted in the local media as saying.
“The umrah pilgrim is free to move between the cities of Holy Mecca and Madina and across all cities of the kingdom during his stay,” the ministry added.
Saudi authorities have recently eased measures for performing umrah as the kingdom has largely relaxed restrictions against COVID-19.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has lifted several precautionary measures including cancellations of permits for praying at the Grand Mosque in Mecca and visiting the Prophet’s Mohammed Mosque in Medina.
The Ministry has also said the immunisation check to enter both holy sites has been scrapped for all worshippers.
The ministry has, moreover, cancelled the once-obligatory registration of immunisation data for overseas Muslims to get an umrah permit.
A mandatory presentation of a negative PCR test result to get access to both sacred places has been lifted too.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has seen a steady fall in COVID-19 infection rates.
