RIYADH – The Saudi cabinet has passed a new resolution under which Umrahpilgrims will be allowed to travel across the Kingdom.
Prior to this resolution, the pilgrims were restricted to the holy citiesof Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah. With the new rules taking effect, millionsof the Umrah pilgrims will be free to visit anywhere in Saudi Arabia duringtheir stay.
The Saudi administration has taken this decision in a bid to boost tourismand the economy.
“The Cabinet has decided to exclude people coming to perform Umrah and tovisit the Prophet’s Mosque (in Madinah), from the prohibition of movementoutside Makkah, Madinah, and Jeddah. A royal decree has been prepared tothis effect,” said the acting media minister, Issam bin Saeed in astatement.——————————
He further revealed that around eight million Muslims performed Umrah thisyear while nearly two million pilgrims from all over the world are expectedfor Hajj.
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Allowing these individuals to travel around the Kingdom will enable them tovisit cultural and tourists sites and attend festivals and events.Moreover, they will be allowed to arrive at any port in the country. Itwill facilitate their arrival and provide room for the arrival of morepilgrims.
Earlier, the pilgrims were required to convert their visas into a touristvisa only if there were registered with a tourism program. This will nolonger be a requirement.
