RIYADH — Saudi Arabia has made it mandatory for all foreign Umrah pilgrims coming to the Kingdom to submit a negative PCR test report taken within 48 hours before arrival.
An official statement said that the change in policy applies to all, “regardless of their vaccination status”.
The new regulation will come into force from next Wednesday.
Pilgrims have to show they are vaccination record using the Tawakkalna app to enter the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Madinah.
Last month, the Saudi Arabia authorities updated the COVID-19 advisory for overseas pilgrims as the kingdom is experiencing a spike in Covid-19 infections.
Reports in international media said authorities in Kingdom have restricted the repetition of Umrah for foreign pilgrims, only allowing them to perform it three times during a month-long stay amid concerns over rising cases of the novel disease.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that foreign pilgrims are allowed to stay in Saudi Arabia for 30 days but have to meet requirements imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
It also added that the overseas pilgrims traveling to Kingdom to perform Umrah have to be aged 12 and above and must be fully inoculated with vaccines approved by Kingdom.
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