Saudi resumes Umrah at 75% capacity, allows prayers at the Grand Mosque

Saudi Arabia has restarted prayers at the Grand Mosque for the first time in seven months, and expanded the Umrah pilgrimage to 75 per cent capacity as part of the second phase of gradual resumption of visits, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

As part of the second phase, which started on October 18, the number of pilgrims allowed to perform Umrah has increased to 15,000 per day.

Saudi citizens and residents can also now conduct prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

Authorities stressed that they are applying all the required Covid-19 precautionary measures and using technical systems and e-programmes to facilitate the procedures and provide services.

They have also provided specialised sanitisation equipment for the mosques.

Saudi Arabia suspended Umrah for citizens and residents in the kingdom due to the coronavirus outbreak in early March.

Read: Saudi temporarily suspends Umrah for citizens, residents over coronavirus outbreak

It restarted the pilgrimage on October 4, with citizens and expatriates in the kingdom allowed to perform Umrah at 30 per cent of the capacity – equating to 6,000 Umrah performers per day – in the first phase.

The third stage, set to begin on November 1, will permit citizens and expatriates from inside and outside the kingdom to perform Umrah and visit the Holy Mosques at 100 per cent capacity – 20,000 pilgrims per day and 60,000 worshippers a day.

Pilgrims and visitors from the countries deemed “free from Covid-19 health risks” will be permitted.

The fourth stage will see complete resumption of capacity at the Grand Mosque once the “risks of the pandemic have disappeared”.

Read: Saudi to resume Umrah and visits to the Grand Mosque in phases