ISLAMABAD:As Saudi Arabia successfully emerged from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, hotels and businesses in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah were experiencing a revival thanks to an increased flow of Umrah pilgrims.
The Kingdom’s hotel, restaurant, transportation, food and commercial sectors have benefited from the influx of Umrah pilgrims, according to a Saudi Press Agency report. It said that ready-made clothes were the most demanded goods among pilgrims, along with gifts and Zamzam water.
The economic benefits result from steps taken to make the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah more accessible to pilgrims, including lifting COVID-19 and age restrictions, extending the duration of Umrah visas from 30 to 90 days, and reversing the need to be accompanied by a male guardian, Arab news reported.
Since the start of this year’s season, the Kingdom has issued 4 million Umrah visas for pilgrims from around the world, the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said last week.
Also, in September, the ministry launched a new unified government platform through which pilgrims can plan and book their visits to Makkah and Madinah.
The platform provided a wide range of services and information for pilgrims and visitors, enabling them to perform their Umrah rituals easily. It is part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives to better the quality of services provided and enrich the religious and cultural experience of pilgrims.
Speaking about the platform at the Umrah+ Connect event in London last month, Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said: “Saudi Arabia is eager to serve the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims from all over the world, and this is why we have also worked to digitize the process for all visa types.”
In an October report, the World Tourism Organization listed Saudi Arabia as top of the G20 countries for the flow rating of international tourists in the first seven months of 2022.