RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has stated that there will be new rules regulating the issuance of Umrah visas.
One of the new rules would be that the person who will be given the visa but does not travel to Saudi Arabia within one month from the date of issuing the visa, the visa will be canceled automatically. This harmonizing directive will come into force next week.
Al Arabiya reports that with the implementation of the new rule, the time allowed for the visa holders to physically come to Saudi Arabia will be only one month instead of the present three months. Likewise, the duration of the stay of the pilgrims in the Kingdom after their arrival will not exceed three months.
It has been divulged by the officials that the decisive measure is a preparation for the fair handling of a constantly increasing number of Umrah performers as well as for the upgrading of the Hajj administration. Analysts reckon that pilgrim arrivals in Makkah and Madinah skyrocket towards the end of summer and the beginning of winter.
Ahmed Bajafar, advisor to the National Committee for Umrah and Ziyarat, said the relocation of the authority to the new system will make it possible for them to supervise arrivals and departures better, facilitate the provision of services, and enhance the management of the crowd.
At the moment, there have been over four million visas issued globally this Umrah season, which is considered a breakthrough in the number of visas in the world compared to the past years.
In reaction to the overflows of the pilgrims, the Saudi government has gone further to boost the number of administrative staff and facilities in Makkah and Madinah, thus making it possible for the pilgrims to perform their rituals in peace and comfort.
