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Saudi Arabia yesterday suspended visas for visits to Islam’s holiest sites for the “umrah” pilgrimage due to start in late July, an unprecedented move triggered by coronavirus fears that raises questions over the annual hajj.
The kingdom, which hosts millions of pilgrims every year in the cities of Mecca and Medina, also suspended visas for tourists from countries affected by the virus as fears of a pandemic deepen. Saudi Arabia, which so far has reported no cases of the virus but has expressed alarm over its spread in neighbouring countries, said the suspensions were temporary.
But it provided no timeframe for when they will be lifted, and the decision left tens of thousands of pilgrims preparing to visit the kingdom from around the world in limbo. “The kingdom’s government has decided to take the following precautions: suspending entry to the kingdom for the purpose of umrah and visit to the Prophet’s mosque temporarily,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Suspending entry into the kingdom with tourist visas for those coming from countries where the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is a danger,” it added without naming them. The measures came amid a spike in coronavirus infections across the Middle East even as the number of new cases has declined in China, where the disease originated.
The umrah, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time of year, attracts millions of devout Muslims from all over the globe each year. A hajj travel association in Bangladesh said over 1,000 pilgrims, many with non-refundable tickets to Saudi Arabia, were “stranded at Dhaka airport” after being denied permission to board following Riyadh’s abrupt announcement.
Some 2.5 million faithful travelled to Saudi Arabia from across the world to take part in last year’s hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam. The event is a key rite of passage for Muslims and a massive logistical challenge for Saudi authorities, with colossal crowds cramming into relatively small holy sites.
Uncertainty loomed as some 10,000 visas have been issued for umrah and 137,000 people in Bangladesh have signed up for the annual hajj, due to start in late July, it added. In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, the decision to suspend visas could affect up to 200,000 pilgrims, the local association for hajj and umrah said.
Since its outbreak, the United Arab Emirates has reported 13 coronavirus cases, Kuwait has recorded 43, Bahrain has 33 and Oman is at four cases.
