KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia can now obtain umrah visas via smartphone applications, 'Eatmarna' and 'Tawakkalna'.
The ministry said on its official Twitter page that pilgrims could also obtain permission to perform prayers at the Masjidil Haram and visit the Masjid Nabawi via the two applications, after registering via the 'Quddum' platform upon arrival in Saudi Arabia.
"To facilitate the affairs of (al-Rahman's) guests, pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia can now obtain umrah visas via the 'Eatmarna' and 'Tawakkalna' applications provided on the Google Play platform, App Store, App Gallery, Galaxy Store," according to the ministry's Twitter.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the ministry as stating that this permission is however limited to pilgrims who have completed two doses of vaccine recognised by the Saudi Arabian government, in addition to those who received exemptions as stated on the 'Tawakkalna' application.
Meanwhile, Umrah visa holders who have not completed the two doses of vaccine are asked to immediately get the second shot within 48 hours at any vaccination centre (PPV) in Saudi.
These conditions are set in order to safeguard the health of the pilgrims as prescribed by the standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
— Bernama
