Saudi gov’t allows domestic pilgrims up to 70 y.o to perform umrah

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that domestic pilgrims between 18 and 70 years old are allowed to perform umrah (the minor hajj), Saudi Gazette reported.

Beneficiaries of I’tamarna application can repeat the ritual after the expiry of the current permit.

A new permit can be issued at the earliest available opportunity in the event of canceling the previous permit.

“As per the current regulation, booking can be made for the issuance of the umrah permit every 15 days. It is possible to make the booking on a daily basis through the application and the transportation service is optional,” the ministry stated.

The ministry clarified that the permit needs to be booked within minutes due to the number of users of the application, which exceed two million users.

The ministry said that it is still implementing the third phase of the gradual resumption of the umrah service that began from November 1, 2020.

Both foreign and domestic pilgrims are allowed to perform the umrah ritual as well as visit the Prophet’s Mosque and the Rawdah Sharif in Madinah from the beginning of this phase.

A total of 20,000 pilgrims are allowed to perform umrah and 60,000 worshipers are being given permit to perform prayer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah with 100 percent of the operational capacity during the current phase.

Reporting by Indonesia Window