Saudi Arabia has introduced a new 96-hour stopover visa and
revised Haji pilgrim visa rules, allowing foreign citizens to perform the Umrah
pilgrimage on existing work or tourism visas, with a visa issuance within 48
hours.
Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Hajj and Umrah, announced the plan during a news conference alongside Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan.
This enables visitors to do Umrah and visit various cities
within the Kingdom. The Umrah visa is valid for 90 days and entitles holders to
live and travel in any Saudi Arabian city. In 2023, the number of Umrah
travellers surged by 74%, reaching 1.2 million. Saudi Arabia and the West are
currently discussing expanding direct airline options to meet the increased
number of pilgrims.
Union Minister Smriti Irani and External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar addressed strengthening partnerships to provide smooth Hajj
pilgrimage facilitation for international nationals. They also addressed the
possibility of increasing the Hajj pilgrimage quota from 1,75,025 to at least
2,000. Irani stated that almost 47% of pilgrims in 2023 would be women, with
4,000 falling under the 'Lady without Mahram' category. The government is
committed to making Hajj inclusive and accessible, particularly for women and
physically challenged citizens.
Union Minister Smriti Irani stated that by 2023, 47%
of Hajj pilgrims would be women, with 4,000 falling under the 'Lady
without Mahram' category. The government is committed to making Hajj accessible
to all people, including women and those with disabilities. The visit by
Al-Rabiah is in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which focuses on reducing
procedures and improving services.
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