BREAKING NEWS

Saudi Arabia to finally open gates to vaccinated pilgrims after COVID year

After about a year and a half of not receiving overseas worshippers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabia will gradually begin receiving Umrah pilgrimage requests from abroad for vaccinated pilgrims starting Aug. 9, the state news agency (SPA) reported early on Sunday.
With a capacity that would rise to 2 million pilgrims from 60,000 pilgrims per month, Mecca and Medina will start welcoming visitors from abroad to their mosques while maintaining COVID-19 precautionary measures.
An official in the Hajj and Umrah Ministry said domestic and overseas pilgrims will have to include authorized COVID-19 vaccination certificates along with their Umrah request.
 
In July, Islam's holiest sites' home had hosted a limited-numbered, domestic Haj pilgrimage for the second year in a row.