Umrah Pilgrims to Isolate before Performing Rituals

Umrah pilgrims are seen in Makkah. (SPA)
Umrah pilgrims are seen in Makkah. (SPA)
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Umrah Pilgrims to Isolate before Performing Rituals

Umrah pilgrims are seen in Makkah. (SPA)
Umrah pilgrims are seen in Makkah. (SPA)

Saudi Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat underscored the measures the Kingdom is taking to detect novel coronavirus cases among foreign Umrah pilgrims.

Saudi Arabia has been resuming the pilgrimage in stages since the beginning of October. The Kingdom has allowed citizens and residents to start performing Umrah as of Oct.4 at 30 percent capacity, or 6,000 pilgrims a day. It will open for Muslims from abroad starting Nov. 1. No virus cases have been reported among the pilgrims.

Mashat said the foreign pilgrims will go through a four-stage plan that tests for the virus from the moment they arrive on Saudi territories.

They will sit in medical isolation for three days before beginning the Umrah rituals, he added in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Ten percent of hotel rooms have been dedicated to the pilgrims in isolation and with suspected virus infections.

The pilgrims will be allowed to perform the Umrah in batches, he went on to say. Each batch will include 3,300 worshipers and only one batch will be allowed at a time at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Makkah. Each batch will have three hours to perform the rituals.

All steps of the pilgrimage are being coordinated with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Health Ministry, Ministry of Interior and The General Presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque.

Mashat stressed that Saudi Arabia welcomes pilgrims from throughout the world, but the pandemic has forced authorities to implement strict screening processes. The number of pilgrims coming from any certain country depends on the extent of the virus outbreak in the country.

Saudi Arabia is adopting all necessary health measures and precautions as the pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom, he added.

Priority will be given to pilgrims who do not suffer from any chronic illnesses and everyone will have to take a PCR test before flying to the Kingdom.

Should a suspected infection be detected after a pilgrim arrives to the Kingdom, then he will be treated before leaving the country.

The ultimate goal, continued Mashat, is for the pilgrims to have a smooth and safe Umrah. The precautions that have been adopted ensure that the pilgrims are protected even before they arrive in Saudi Arabia.

Sponsors of the pilgrims in their home country are responsible for providing all necessary documentation and Saudi authorities are responsible for the worshiper when he arrives in the Kingdom. Once he passes a Health Ministry assessment, he is allowed to move on to the holy sites.

Mashat highlighted the importance of the Eatmarna dedicated app that the pilgrim must follow to even before he flies to the Kingdom.



Muslim World League Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Muslim World League Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
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Muslim World League Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

Muslim World League Welcomes Gaza Ceasefire Agreement

The Muslim World League (MWL) welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, appreciating the efforts of the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America in achieving this agreement.
In a statement, MWL Secretary-General and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa expressed hope that the agreement would bring an end to the horrific humanitarian tragedy endured by the Gaza Strip, with all the catastrophic dimensions of the brutal aggression it has faced, the Saudi Press Agency reported Thursday.
He stressed the importance of full adherence to the agreement, the cessation of aggression, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip and all Palestinian territories.
Al-Issa also emphasized the need for the Palestinian people to get their full rights, foremost among them the establishment of their independent, sovereign state along the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital.