100,000 pilgrims to perform Umrah daily as Grand Mosque increases

The number of pilgrims and worshippers allowed to perform Umrah and pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia will increase as of today. Saudi authorities announced that 100,000 pilgrims will be able to perform Umrah daily, an increase of 30,000 to the current capacity, and 60,000 worshippers will be able to pray at […]

The number of pilgrims and worshippers allowed to perform Umrah and pray at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia will increase as of today.

Saudi authorities announced that 100,000 pilgrims will be able to perform Umrah daily, an increase of 30,000 to the current capacity, and 60,000 worshippers will be able to pray at the mosque.

Permits are issued through the Tawakkalna application. Earlier in September, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques increased the capacity to 70,000 per day.

Hani bin Hosni Haidar, the official spokesman for the general presidency, had said that all Umrah pilgrims and worshippers will have to abide by precautionary measures and intensified sterilization.

Additional services the presidency has provided in conjunction with the existing precautionary measures include the development of thermal cameras and visual sorting operations.

The sterilization process will utilize 11 robots that work with AI, 20 bio-care devices with dry steam, and 500 sterilization pumps.

Haidar said the presidency also increased the production capacity of Zamzam water to more than 300,000 bottles per day, which will be distributed to Umrah pilgrims and worshippers.

The resumption of Umrah for pilgrims from other countries started on Aug. 10.

The first group of fully-jabbed foreign Umrah pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 15 after a temporary ban was lifted.

Umrah pilgrims from abroad are required to present a certificate on arrival that has been validated in their home country and states they have been fully jabbed with a vaccine approved by the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Pilgrims must also adhere to quarantine measures if they are coming from countries where there is a ban on direct entry to the Kingdom.