Photo: HaramainInfo
Faizel Patel – 04/10/2020
Thousands of pilgrims entered the Haram in Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as authorities partially resumed Umrah amid extensive health precautions after seven months of the COVID-19 hiatus.
Only Saudi citizens and residents will be permitted to enter the Haram during this first phase of reopening, and each pilgrim has up to three hours to complete the Umrah.
The resumption of Umrah was revived in three phases, with Saudi Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten saying last week that 6,000 pilgrims per day will be allowed in the first stage to perform the umrah “meticulously and within a specified period of time”.
Benten said group of 20 or 25 pilgrims will be accompanied by a health worker and medical teams will be on the ground in case of an emergency.
Under the second stage from 18 October, the number of Umrah pilgrims will be increased to 15,000 per day, with a maximum of 40,000 people, including pilgrims and other worshippers, allowed to perform prayers at the Haram.
International pilgrims will be permitted in the third stage from 1 November, when capacity will be raised to 20,000 and 60,000, respectively.
Worshippers who want to enter the Haram for Friday prayers or to perform the Umrah have to apply to reserve a time and date through an online application launched by the authorities to avoid overcrowding.
The “I’tamarana” app is now available for users of iOS and Android operating systems on their smartphones.
While Hajj was allowed in July, it went ahead on a small scale, with only up to 10,000 Muslims allowed to take part – a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated last year.
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