The Umrah pilgrimage has been postponed for the time being due to the start of the 2023 Hajj season in Saudi Arabia, the Umrah Pilgrimage Association of Uzbekistan informed Daryo.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has stopped issuing Umrah visas since May 5.
“This is the typical order. The issuance of visas for Umrah has been suspended until the month of Muharram, that is, until July 20. Although the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not officially report this, the issuance of visas was stopped,” said the Association's statement.
Entry into the city of Mecca will also be officially suspended from May 15, and only people with a residence permit in Mecca will be able to enter the city.
For information, about 2.6mn people performed the Hajj in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, due to the pandemic, the royal authorities allowed only a limited number of pilgrims to enter. In 2022, only people aged 18 to 65, fully vaccinated or immune to coronavirus and without chronic diseases, could perform the Hajj. Later this restriction was lifted.
In 2023, some 12,450 pilgrims performed the Hajj, and more than 61,000 pilgrims performed Umrah in Uzbekistan. Around 1,400 low-income citizens were sent on the Umrah pilgrimage in 2023.
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