RIYADH – The government of Saudi Arabia has banned performing more than one Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan.
The authorities have confirmed that repetition of performing Umrah or minor pilgrimage in Mecca during the month of fasting is not permitted to ease overcrowding.
Ramadan marks the peak season of Umrah at Islam’s holiest site, Grand Mosque, and millions of Muslims are expected to land in the kingdom for the said purpose.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reiterated that no permit is issued for performing two or more Umrahs in Ramadan, urging the believers to comply with the restrictions.
The ministry has explained that the condition aims to ease congestion, give others the chance to perform Umrah, and help in crowd management.
The Umrah permits can be obtained through the App named Nusuk. Still, when someone tries to get a permit for the second time, a message appears reading: “The permit issuance fails. To give everyone the chance to perform Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage can’t be repeated in Ramadan”.
In Ramadan, Muslims from across the world arrive in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and offer prayers; contrary to Hajj, Umrah can be performed at any time of the year.
To cope with the expected influx, Saudi authorities have taken multiple measures to help worshippers perform rites smoothly and avoid untoward incidents.
Authorities have allocated specific gates of the mosques for pilgrims’ entry and exit to avoid overcrowding. After the Umrah season is over, the government would gear up for Hajj which is scheduled to begin in June this year. The Saudi Arabian authorities would welcome around 2 million pilgrims this year’s Hajj season.
