Mecca reopens after 7 months

Saudi reopens Mecca for the year-round umrah pilgrimage on Sunday with extensive health precautions.

As the nation begin to ease the restrictions, the Saudi government on Sunday started the first phase of allowing Saudis and foreign residents in the Kingdom.

6,000 pilgrims in a day to enter the Mecca and complete his/her pilgrimage within 3 hours.

Also read: 201 more COVID-19 cases reported in Arunachal Pradesh

Worshippers entered The Mecca in batches to perform the ritual of circling.

The sacred Kaaba a cubic structure inside the Grand Mosque towards which Muslims around the world pray.

The second phase for loosening restrictions at the Grand Mosque comes into effect on October 18.

However, Foreigners\muslim travellers around the world will be allowed to visit Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah from November 1.

The umrah usually attracts millions of Muslims from across the world.

But it was suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Saudi Arabia imposed some of the toughest measures in the region to contain the coronavirus.

Also including closing its airspace and quarantining entire provinces.

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