Not 3 months, your Umrah entry visa to Saudi Arabia is now valid only for 1 month; here's why

Saudi Arabia has reduced the validity period for the entry visa for Umrah to one month, according to Al Arabiya. Earlier, the visa was valid for three months from the date of issuance.

According to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the entry visa for the pilgrimage will be cancelled after 30 days from the date of issuance if the pilgrim does not register to enter Saudi Arabia.

Why did Saudi Arabia reduce Umrah visa validity?

Since June, when the Umrah season begins, the number of entry visas for the pilgrimage has crossed 40 lakh. The aim is to avoid overcrowding in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

The ministry expects a rise in the number of pilgrims arriving in Saudi for Umrah from November as the summer is coming to an end and the temperatures are expected to come down in Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Gazetter quoted Ahmed Bajaeifer, advisor at the National Committee for Umrah and Visit, as saying.

The new regulations are expected to come into force in the first week of November.

In October, the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques reported that over 11.7 million Umrah performers visited Saudi during the Hijri month of Rabi al-Thani. Of these, 1.5 million pilgrims visiting Makkah were from other countries.

The average time taken for a pilgrim to perform the Umrah ritual was just 116 minutes, which the authorities say is due to enhanced infrastructure, organisation and technology.

On average, a pilgrim took 42 minutes to complete tawaf or circumambulation, 46 minutes for Sa'i (Safa and Marwah), 15 minutes for Courtyard to Mataf Movement and 13 minutes for Mataf to Sa'i Movement.

Middle East