Saudi registers 16,000 pilgrims in first few hours of Umrah app launch

Upto 16,000 Saudi nationals and expatriates have signed up for the Umrah pilgrimage in the first few hours of the launch of the mobile application “I’tamarna”.

The registration of Umrah pilgrims for the first 10 days has been completed, the Makkah Emirate tweeted.

The Umrah pilgrimage and the visit to the Two Holy Mosques is to commence in a phased manner.

In the first phase, citizens and expatriates in the kingdom will be allowed to perform Umrah, starting from Sunday, October 4, at 30 per cent of the capacity – equating to 6,000 Umrah performers per day, taking into account the health precautionary measures in place at the Grand Mosque.

Only 12 groups of pilgrims would be allowed to perform Umrah within 24 hours in the first phase.

Read: Saudi to resume Umrah and visits to the Grand Mosque in phases

وزير #الحج:
•تسجيل 16 ألف معتمر خلال الساعات
الأولى من إطلاق تطبيق #اعتمرنا
•الانتهاء من حجز أول عشرة أيام للمعتمرين pic.twitter.com/UNtJ4lIMSm

— إمارة منطقة مكة (@makkahregion) September 28, 2020

The Grand Mosque in Makkah will be sterilised 10 times a day, the same procedure completed before the entry and after the exit of each batch of pilgrims. Meanwhile, Zamzam water, too, will be given in packaged bottles.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the pilgrims will not be permitted to approach the Holy Kaaba and the Black Stone (Hajar Al-Aswad). Meanwhile, the circumambulation around the Kaaba is to be performed outside the bounds of the transient barrier surrounding it. Medical teams will be available to assist the pilgrims.

Meanwhile, stores selling Ihram clothing resumed operations after a six-month hiatus in Saudi Arabia prior to the partial resumption of the Umrah season from next Sunday.

Saudi Arabia suspended Umrah for citizens and residents in the kingdom due to the coronavirus outbreak in early March.

Read: Saudi temporarily suspends Umrah for citizens, residents over coronavirus outbreak