Umrah pilgrims: KSA cancels 14-day waiting period

ISLAMABAD: Pilgrims wishing to perform Umrah will no longer be required to wait for 14 days to book for the ritual, according to the Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Dr Amr Al-Maddah, chief of planning and strategy officer at the ministry, said in an interview with Arab News that by easing preventive measures, the operational capacity of the Grand Mosque for Umrah and prayers has significantly increased.

"In line with the developments at this stage, which in turn increased the demand in the dates available to perform Umrah, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah made this feature available for pilgrims. This condition is no longer necessary and will achieve a fair opportunity for all due to the high demand," he said.