Saudi Arabian government’s strict decision on Umrah visas; What is it and how will it affect Indians?

New Delhi: The Saudi Arabian government has made significant changes to Umrah visa regulations. Under this change, the validity period of the visa has been reduced from three months to one month. Travellers must now enter Saudi Arabia within 30 days of receiving their visa. If travellers fail to do so or do not arrive within a month, the visa will be considered expired. Therefore, those wishing to travel to Mecca for Umrah will need to be more vigilant.

Under the new policy announced by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Umrah pilgrims can stay in Saudi Arabia for up to three months after entering. This system, which will come into effect next week, aims to improve the visa process and ensure a smooth entry process for pilgrims. This decision will directly impact India(BHARAT)ns, who visit Saudi Arabia in large numbers to perform Umrah.

Why the move?

Saudi government officials say the decision to change visa rules was taken to control the increasing number of Umrah pilgrims. This step has been taken, especially with the arrival of winter and the expected increase in visitors. According to the ministry, more than 4 million Umrah visas have been issued since the start of the current season. This is the highest number recorded in the last five months.

Saudi authorities had previously announced that pilgrims holding all types of visas, including individual, family, tourist, transit, and work visas, are now eligible to perform Umrah under Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030. The Saudi government has made several changes to the Hajj and Umrah regulations in recent times.

Importance of Umrah

Umrah is commonly referred to as the mini-Hajj in India(BHARAT) because Muslims perform the same rituals in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as the Hajj. Like Hajj, Umrah involves several rituals, including the Tawaf around the Kaaba. However, there are some fundamental differences between Hajj and Umrah. Hajj occurs once a year, while Umrah can be performed at any time.

While performing Hajj is obligatory for wealthy Muslims, Umrah is not as obligatory as Hajj. Despite this, Umrah is widely practised among Muslims. Every year, millions of people from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and see the Kaaba. In light of this, the Saudi government frequently changes the rules related to Umrah.