Mecca: Saudi Arabia Devotes Mataf Yard for Umrah Pilgrims

Saudi Arabia’s General President for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque, Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, announced on Wednesday the allocation of the Grand Mosque’s mataf (circumambulation) yard for Umrah pilgrims starting next Sunday.
The decision comes to facilitate the pilgrims’ performance of rituals to the fullest, according to the official Saudi Press Agency, noting that this move is part of its gradual Umrah facilitation.
Al Sudais stressed that the presidency of the mosques took all necessary measures to ensure the safety and the comfort of pilgrims, and offer them the “best and finest services.”
The presidency also discussed the executive plan to receive Umrah pilgrims and organize their gathering places, which they developed in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Saudi Arabia announced in February its decision to ban the Umrah pilgrimage temporarily amid mounting fears over the COVID-19 outbreak. The kingdom decided to ban visitors from the holy mosque on March 5.
On June 22, Saudia Arabia announced it would organize a “very limited” Hajj allowing only people who live in the country to perform the religious ritual. In 2019, the Hajj season attracted nearly 2.5 million pilgrims from across the world.