Saudi Arabia raises daily capacity of Mecca pilgrims to 70,000

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Wednesday announced that it would raise the capacity of Umrah pilgrims to 70,000 a day, starting from Thursday, September 9.

“With an emphasis on implementing precautionary measures, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in coordination with the competent authorities, raises the daily capacity to 70,000 pilgrims,” the ministry said in a tweet.

Individuals who wish to go for Umrah in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, can book requests through Saudi Arabia’s COVID-19 tracking app Tawakkalna.

Last month, the ministry announced that it will start gradually receiving Umrah requests from various countries as of August 9, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The ministry will also gradually increase the capacity to reach 2 million pilgrims per month.

Permits will be issued through the Eatmarna and Tawakkalna mobile applications, amid an integrated system of services and preventive measures, taken by the Kingdom for the safety and health of those wishing to perform the rituals of Umrah and Ziyarah.

The ministry also confirmed that it will grant domestic Umrah permits to pilgrims aged 12-18 years old who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a statement.