GCC residents with any profession can perform Umrah, says Hajj Minister
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Salma Hossein
- . March 13, 2023
- . Update: March 13, 2023 11:56 pm
Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, the Minister of Hajj and Umrah for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), has said that all residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with any profession can perform Umrah on an electronic visit visa to Saudi Arabia.
The Hajj and Umrah Minister further said that all expatriates in the GCC countries and their first-degree relatives with a valid three-month Gulf residency permit and six-month valid passport can perform Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam and the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia.
GCC residents can visit Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah by applying for online visit visas through the Saudi Rouh platform. They must pay a fee of SR300 for online visit visas and a medical insurance fee.
GCC residents can obtain single and multiple entry visas to perform Umrah and pray at the Prophet’s Mosque in the Rawdah Sharif, a place located between the Prophet’s house, peace be upon him, and between the Prophet’s Minbar (or pulpit). By obtaining the visa, GCC residents can also visit all cities across Saudi Arabia.
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Mecca is an important location for Muslims around the world. It is Islam’s oldest and holiest site. TheQuran, the sacred book of Islam, is believed to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in Mecca. Umrah can be performed throughout the year and can be completed in two hours. The critical point for Umrah is the Kaaba, the black-boxed structure in Mecca’s Masjid al-Haraam. Muslims offer their prayers in the direction of the Kaaba.
Citizens from other countries can obtain permits to perform Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan by using the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Nusuk app. They can find available Umrah dates and can obtain the permit by providing the necessary information.
