Monitor News Desk
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has announced extending the Umrah visa to three months for pilgrims across the world.
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Minister of Haj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, revealed the extension of the Umrah visa from one month to three months, during his two-day official visit to Uzbekistan.
Al-Rabiah’s visit comes as an extension of the distinguished historical relations that bind the two countries and resulted in many agreements and cooperation in various fields and many disciplines, including the Haj and Umrah sectors.
Children of the age of five and above can obtain a visa and are permitted to can accompany their parents to perform prayers inside the Grand Mosque.
The start of the new Umrah season for pilgrims began on the first of Muharram. Saudi Arabia is expecting to host over 10 million pilgrims in the new season of Umrah.
Last month, Saudi Arabia has rolled out an online platform `Nusuk’ so that pilgrims book `Umrah’ packages directly without the support or intervention of middlemen.
Nusuk provides a wide range of services and information for pilgrims and visitors that enable 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.
Travelers from all over the world can easily organize their entire visit to the Kingdom, from applying for an eVisa to booking hotels and flights.
The platform provides a wide range of services and information for pilgrims and visitors that enable 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.
Nusuk has been launched in cooperation with the Saudi Tourism Authority and is linked to the services provided by the Kingdom’s official tourism website “Visit Saudi Arabia” with the aim of enriching pilgrim experiences and facilitating reservation and communication procedures to provide them with various packages and programs.
Those wishing to perform Umrah will be able to use Nusuk to obtain the necessary visas and permits and book packages and programs electronically.
A range of other services will be added to the platform at a later stage and these will include interactive maps, a calendar for offers and activities, a digital instruction guide in several languages, and health information and services.
The Maqam platform will continue to operate until all services are transferred to Nusuk at a later stage.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah explained that the Nusuk platform is an extension of continuous efforts to improve the quality of services provided to pilgrims using the latest technology.
He added that the platform is a result of several government agencies coming together to facilitate pilgrim procedures to enrich their spiritual journey.
