Saudi Arabia’s Haj and Umrah Ministry has issued the regulations for Umrah pilgrimages. Under the regulations, pilgrims will have to wait 14 days before they book another Umrah pilgrimage. They will also have to download the Eatmarna application which will be launched soon. Social distancing rules will also have to be complied with. Umrah pilgrimages are going to have to be taken in phases this year because of Coronavirus. The first phase will start on 4 October and pilgrims will perform Umrah at six different times a day. Each pilgrim will have three hours. The first Umrah will start at midnight. Umrah will not be able to be performed between sunset and evening prayers. This time will be used for disinfecting and cleaning. Each group will have to be accompanied by supervisors who will ensure social distancing rules and other anti-Coronavirus measures are complied with. Isolation rooms will be provided at the central area’s hotels to handle any potential cases. The second phase will start on 18 October. A review of the success of the first phase will be carried out to identify any failings and rectify them. Histoire complète
