The Grand Mosque in Makkah, KSA will receive the first umrah pilgrims after closing umrahs due to COVID-19, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as reported. The KSA Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has also launched the Eatmarna (اعتمرنا) app for prospective pilgrims.
According to the SPA, sites in Ajyad, Al-Shisha, Al-Gaza, and Al-Zahir plus health facilities have been prepared for the pilgrims, after which they will be transported to the Grand Mosque by bus.
Some 1,000 staff have been recruited to facilitate umrahs, SPA said citing the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque. The Presidency cleans the Grand Mosque 10 times a day before and after the umrah groups, sanitising toilets six times a day. The carpets in the carpets of the Grand Mosque, basins at the Zamzam water fountains, and all vehicles are also sterilised regularly. Thermal cameras have also been installed at both holy sites to screen pilgrims.
The SPA also reported that the KSA Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for the Ministry's Work on Hajj and Umrah, Sheikh Dr Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh, has directed the launch of an automatic phone-based service to answer questions about umrahs. The toll-free hotline is at 800 245 1000 and operates 24x7 in eight languages, including in Arabic, English, Turkish, Hindi, Urdu, Bahasa Indonesia, and Bengali.
Eatmarna enables users to request permits to enter the two holy mosques to perform umrah, visit and offer prayers in accordance with a pre-approved quota. It is integrated with the Tawakolna app, which verifies the health status of the applicant.
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