As Muslims celebrate Ramadan across the globe, many visit Saudi Arabia during the holy month to perform Umrah to make the most of the blessed period.
Unlike Hajj, the pilgrims can perform Umrah as many times as they want on a single trip in accordance with their stay.
However, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has now restricted Muslims from repeating the pilgrimage for the month of Ramadan, which means the faithful present in Makkah will be able to perform Umrah only once, according to Gulf News.
Ramadan usually marks the peak season of Umrah at the Grand Mosque of Makkah, which is Islam’s holiest site.
An official handle of the news related to the Haramain, the Grand Mosque of Makkah and the Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque, shared the statement of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
As per the statement, the repetition of performing Umrah has been banned during Ramadan to ease overcrowding and congestion.
Moreover, the measure will also give more people the chance to undertake Umrah.
The ministry said that no permit has been issued for performing two or more Umrahs in Ramadan, urging the faithfuls to perform only one minor pilgrimage in the sacred month.
Besides this, the authorities in Saudi Arabia have adopted several other measures to help pilgrims perform rites smoothly and comfortably, keeping in view the expected influx during Ramadan.
These measures include designation of the circumambulation courtyard of the mosque around the Holy Kaaba and the ground floor for Umrah pilgrims during Ramadan. Meanwhile, certain gates of the extensive mosques have been allocated for the entry and exit of the pilgrims to manage crowd.
