Rabat – Over 9 million pilgrims have performed Umrah during the first 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan.
Gulf News has reported that the number of pilgrims that headed to pray and perform Umrah at the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia reached 9.35 million since the start of Ramadan.
The number of pilgrims is expected to surge as many prefer to perform the Umrah rituals during the holy month- particularly the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Unlike Hajj, Umrah can be performed any time of the year.
Saudi Arabia announced that several programmes and measures have been put in place to help pilgrims perform Umrah in the best conditions.
“The General Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs launched a new initiative on Thursday, called ‘Ask Me’, to guide visitors and inform them about the zones designated for worship,” the National reported.
Saudi Arabia is expected to receive millions of pilgrims to perform Hajj later this year.
“The number of pilgrims will return to what it was before the pandemic without any age restrictions,” the Saudi Ministry of Umrah and Hajj said in January.
Saudi Arabia lifted COVID restrictions on pilgrim candidates, including mandatory proof of vaccination and PCR.
The number of Hajj goers reached 2.5 million prior to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
