Saudi Arabia has suspended the year-round “umrah” pilgrimage’ due to the fears of coronavirus spreading. The decision was announced by the Interior Ministry of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
‘Saudi Arabian government has decided “to suspend umrah temporarily for citizens and residents in the kingdom”, said official Saudi Press Agency quoting a statement released by the Interior ministry.
They were also barred from “visits to the Prophet’s mosque in Medina”, according to a foreign ministry tweet.
On last week, Saudi Arabia has suspended visas for the pilgrimage and barred citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council from entering Mecca and Medina, two of Islam’s holiest cities.
The first case of new coronavirus infection was reported in Saudi Arabia on Monday after one its citizens who had returned from COVID-19 hotspot Iran tested positive.
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