RIYADH – The government of Saudi Arabia has issued new guideline for Umrah goers as the kingdom welcomes Muslims in large numbers.
As per the new guideline, the authorities have encouraged pilgrims to perform Umrah only once during the last ten days of Ramazan and to conduct daily prayers in mosques across Mecca instead of gathering at the Holy Mosque.
The instructions are aimed at ensuring a smooth and spiritually fulfilling Umrah experience for millions of worshippers expected to arrive at Islam’s holiest sites during the last 10 days of Ramazan. Though Muslims perform Umrah round the year, Ramazan is the month which sees extra ordinary large number of Muslims arriving in Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has also called on pilgrims to adhere strictly to organisational procedures put in place to safeguard both the safety and serenity of the pilgrimage.
The Ministry has also urged pilgrims to secure Umrah permits in advance and arrive strictly at their designated times to avoid congestion around the Grand Mosque.
As part of the guidelines issued on Thursday, the authorities have also urged the pilgrims to use public transportation instead of private cars and to avoid overcrowding passageways and stairwells.
As the Umrah season concludes, the authorities would gear up for finalizing the arrangements for Hajj which is expected in June. The government has already set a minimum age of 15 for performing Hajj and modalities are being finalized with different Muslim countries at the moment to accommodate over 2 million Muslims for the Hajj season.
