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After nearly 30 months of access limitations for children due to COVID-19 concerns, the ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Friday that fully vaccinated youngsters aged seven and above can apply for permits to visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
They made this decision after Saudi health officials began administering the vaccination to kids aged five to eleven.
Anyone in Saudi Arabia who wishes to conduct Umrah must get a permit via the “Eatmarna” or “Tawakkalna” apps, provided their health status on the app is “immune” and the beneficiary’s data is updated in the “Absher” system.
Permits for recurring Umrah would be provided once every 10 days, according to the government. When questioned if this arrangement will be maintained during Ramzan, the ministry underlined that any changes would be provided in due time.
In its daily report on electronic permits granted for Umrah, prayers, and visits, the ministry stated that over the past seven months, it has issued more than 29.4 million permissions to access the Grand Mosque. During the same time period, more than 3.7 million permits were issued to worshipers to gain admission to the Prophet’s Mosque.
The majority of Umrah travelers seemed to prefer conducting their rites after midnight. Those performing Umrah are given a three-hour permit to complete their pilgrimage, but almost all of them complete it in no more than two hours.
