Saudi: More than 7.5 million perform Umrah at Grand Mosque
More than 7.5 million people have performed Umrah and prayed at the Grand Mosque since the resumption on October 4, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
Out of the total, Umrah performers accounted for more than 1.9 million, while the number of worshippers reached nearly 5.5 million between October 4 and January 30, the presidency said in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Engineer Osama Al Hujaili, director of the general department for crowd management and grouping at the presidency, said that the presidency has mobilised all its resources to serve the pilgrims and provide them with a safe and healthy environment. “With the beginning of the third phase of Umrah resumption on November 1, special paths have been created near the Holy Kaaba to facilitate the elderly and people with special needs to perform their rituals with ease.
The 155-long first path has been designated for 45 wheelchair pilgrims where Tawaf (circumambulation around the Kaaba) takes 10 to 15 minutes, while the 145-long second path, which is closest to the Holy Kaaba and it accommodates 50 people, has been set aside for the elderly, who do not need wheelchairs,” he added.
