KUALA LUMPUR: The procedure for checking vaccination status of visitors and pilgrims to the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia was abolished starting Thursday, according to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU).
In an infographic on the latest standard operating procedures (SOPs) posted on its official Twitter page on Thursday, MoHU also removed the requirement to register vaccination information before obtaining umrah visas for pilgrims from outside Saudi Arabia.
The latest SOP also includes revoking the conditions for obtaining a permit to perform prayers at the Grand Mosque and visiting the grave of Prophet Muhammad, while the conditions for obtaining an umrah permit and visiting Rawdah remain as before.
Visitors to the Holy mosques no longer have to maintain physical distancing, but are still required to wear masks while inside the mosque.
In addition, the ministry also abolished the requirement to submit negative PCR or RTK (Ag) test results, besides no longer requiring quarantine for pilgrims coming from outside Saudi Arabia. — Bernama
