Tag: Umrah Pilgrimage

Umrah: Tour Operators decry visas’ racketeering

Aminu Imam

…Now sold as high as N2m Nigeria’s Independent Tour Operators have decried the racketeering in Umrah visa processing, making it difficult for Nigerians willing to embark on the Umrah trip to get visas to carry on with the journey to Saudi Arabia. With Umrah visa, which hitherto cost N250,000, currently sold as high as N2million, the Tour Operators said they were deeply worried over the challenges being faced by Nigerian Muslims in obtaining visas to travel to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj in this month of Ramadan, saying it…

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Umrah: Visa holders can travel across Saudi Arabia – Saudi ministry

Aminu Imam

…Says visa valid for 30 days Saudi authorities have said that overseas Muslims with visas issued for performing umrah or lesser pilgrimage are allowed to move across the Kingdom during their stay. “The stay duration for arrivals on Umrah visas is 30 days”, the Ministry of Umrah and Hajj was quoted in the local media as saying. “The umrah pilgrim is free to move between the cities of Holy Mecca and Madina and across all cities of the kingdom during his stay”, the ministry added. Recall that the Saudi authorities…

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Saudi resumes ‘Umrah’ pilgrimage October 4

Ishaku Yohanna

Saudi Arabia will gradually resume the year-round umrah pilgrimage from October 4, the interior ministry said Tuesday, after it was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.  In the first stage, “6,000 citizens and residents within the kingdom will be allowed to perform the umrah per day from October 4,” the ministry said in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.  Visitors from outside the kingdom will be permitted from November 1, when umrah’s capacity will be raised to 20,000 pilgrims per day, the ministry said. 

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