UAE: Demand for Umrah rises as Saudi Arabia scraps most Covid-19 restrictions

UAE: Demand for Umrah rises as Saudi Arabia scraps most Covid-19 restrictions

PCR tests and quarantine on arrival are no longer mandatory

Published: Sun 6 Mar 2022, 4:30 PM Last updated: Sun 6 Mar 2022, 4:32 PM

Pilgrims in the UAE have been counting down the days to visit Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah.

Now, following the Kingdom's decision to ease Covid-19 restrictions, worshippers in the UAE are expressing their happiness at being able to travel and offer their prayers.

Umm Fahah, a 55-year-old Emirati, said: "I was longing to be there, as I used to travel annually to perform Umrah. InShallah, I will be there in the last 10 days for Ramadan," she said.

Demand for Umrah has risen considerably for the coming days and the last 10 days of Ramadan, and is expected to surge higher than pre-pandemic levels, as many worshippers are eager to perform Umrah after two years of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also announced that fully-vaccinated children are allowed to enter the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. The minimum age requirement for permits through the Umrahna and Tawakkalna applications is five years.

The ministry reported that it had issued more than 29.4 million permits to the Grand Mosque over the past seven months. During the