Saudi Hajj Minister: Pilgrims’ Safety is Our Priority

Jeddah, MINA – The Minister of Hajj and Umrah Saudi Arabia Mohammed Saleh Benten said worshipers and pilgrims’ healthy, safety, and security is the top priority of goverment.

The authority of Saudi Arabia makes join effort to serve the worshipers. Benten said the implementation of umrah is carry out without compromising their safety.

“All government entities are collectively working to ensure that Umrah pilgrims are registered on the Tawakkalna application. The authorities are following up to ensure that recent pilgrims have not mingled with anyone who has the Covid-19 virus or has Covid-19 symptoms,” Benten said as quoted from Arab News on Wednesday.

Benten said the resumption of Umrah is gradually carried out after studying the global situation. However, the restriction of Umrah pilgrims cannot be ruled out. He said those limits depend on the number of infections worldwide.

“We are in close contact with the Ministry of Health. If we detect any danger, we will immediately change our plans. However, we may increase the number of visitors if we see a decrease in Covid-19 cases,” he continued.

The Minister also concluded that the decision to reopen the Umrah for international visitors would be an extraordinary decision. So far, he said no country had announced that it had received such many visitors during the pandemic.

After the plan was approved later, Benten assessed that Saudi Arabia would be the only country to take such an initiative. On the other hand, Al-Sudais highlighted the steps taken to help congregations carry out rituals in a safe environment without feeling inconvenient. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)