The Saudi Ministry of Health has given approval for entirely inoculated travelers to attend Hajj and Umrah. The Tawakkalna program allows the ministry and officials to verify the vaccine uptake of every individual. The advent of technology in detecting and combating COVID-19 has aided in the safe performance of the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage. One such innovation is the request for Hajj and Umrah e-visa enrollment.
Umrah and Hajj During COVID-19
Because new variants of the COVID-19 virus are proliferating over the world at times, authorities imposed stringent limitations on Hajj and Umrah trips. In July, just 60,000 individuals arrived to do Hajj, compared to an annual average of 2 million Hajj pilgrims. The permitted pilgrims were completely immunized with dosages of Oxford’s AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, or one dosage of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. According to the most recent statistics, Saudi Arabia presently reports 545k overall cases and 8.78k fatalities due to COVID-19. However, the number of reported cases has dropped significantly in recent weeks. As a result, officials are planning to let all international pilgrims perform pilgrimages.
E-Visa for Hajj and Umrah App
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan confirmed the commencement of an automated visa filing mobile application. The title of the application, its specs, and the required fields for application submissions will be made public very soon by the officials. The application will alleviate the strain caused by individuals crowding at visa processing facilities and maybe contracting diseases. Individuals who are unaware of the new rules will benefit from the biometric application. Many analysts believe it would include instructions for completing Umrah and Hajj. Pilgrims will be required to produce the proper paperwork, as well as immunization proof. The authorities will check the information and instantly provide e-visas based on the accuracy of the information.
Masjid Al-Haram Will Operate at Maximum Capacity
A significant announcement was made by Masjid Al-Haram. The Grand Mosque administrators are removing limitations on the number of adherents who may do Hajj and Umrah. They made this choice in light of a decrease in COVID-19 situations and an increase in pilgrimage queries. Local news sources are posting images and videos of individuals praying together while preserving a minimum of social distancing. Although social distancing has been lessened in Al-Haram, pilgrims must still use masks at all occasions within the mosque’s boundaries. Saudi Arabia has also eased pilgrimage prohibitions in numerous nations, particularly India. Because of the severity of COVID-19, these nations were assigned red labels. As the globe begins to recuperate from the devastation wrought by COVID-19’s different varieties, Saudi Arabia continues to open avenues for all these countries.
Authorities are tracking pilgrims coming to Makkah using a variety of cellphone applications. These apps will reveal a person’s immunization records, illness status, visa validity, and more. Officials ask pilgrims to abide by the rules given by the administration and to stay up to speed on any modifications. Furthermore, various online sites and support centers are available to assist pilgrims with their Hajj and Umrah-related inquiries and responses. Authorities urge pilgrims to reap the benefits of such facilities in order to make a safe visit.
Muslims who want to avail this opportunity can book their travel by obtaining exclusive Hajj and Umrah packages in 2021 and 2022. They can worship Allah (SWT) freely without any restrictions and limitations.