The proposal, according to which Moharram and Shawwal would be included in the Umrah season, comes in the context of having a new vision for Makkah and Madinah, the sources said.
Umrah visas currently cover the period between Safar and the end of Ramadan.
The proposal is also in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to raise the number of Umrah pilgrims from 8 million to 30 million by 2030.
The vision is meant to enrich the pilgrims’ religious and cultural journey in the Kingdom through the construction and expansion of museums and historic and cultural sites.
According to the vision, the biggest Islamic museum in the world will be established. It will collect, store, display and document items aimed to acquaint visitors with the rich Islamic history.
Meanwhile, the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) organized a workshop to discuss a detailed road map for sustainable growth in all business sectors in Makkah through Haj and Umrah.
MCCI Chairman Mahir Jamal said the next period will witness the completion of mega projects in Makkah, to keep up with the growth of Muslims in the world. Muslims number about 1.62 billion worldwide, representing 23 percent of the global population.
“This prompted our wise leadership to envisage an expected increase in the number of pilgrims performing Haj and Umrah from 8 million to 30 million by 2030,” he said.
The National Transformation Program 2020 has also put forth strategic goals for the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, aimed at facilitating the journey for Haj and Umrah pilgrims, he said.
An Indian Muslim raised this question whether the fees of the Umrah visa will be hiked to 2000 SR per HAJI except for the first time visitor from 02nd October 2016 (01st Muharram 1438) Which is equivalent to INR 36000/- (PK Rupee . I request to your kindness to please provide the detail information about the Visa fees which Haji will have to pay. And also provide the information where this fee should be paid in which form.Another Muslim commented on this news From the very beginning we are advocating this proposal. It should started from the coming Muharram to end of Shawal. The visa process must be easy so a very large number of Muslims can visit the Holy Sites all over the Kingdom. The Stay Period of the Umrah pilgrims should be extended also. It will give a tremendous monetary benefit to the Kingdom to accomplist STP 2020 and Vision 2030.
