Hundreds of Muslims were seen rotating around the Kaaba, but the area between two hills that pilgrims must go between seven times to complete umrah remained closed. Barricades blocked access to the Kaaba, draped in a gold-embroidered black cloth, while men in green uniforms cleaned the white-tiled floor. Authorities had emptied the Grand Mosque for sterilisation on Thursday. The unprecedented suspension of the umrah has raised uncertainty over the annual Haj pilgrimage, scheduled for the end of July.
Authorities have said prayers will be allowed at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina and in Mecca’s Grand Mosque while the umrah is suspended, apart from during nighttime cleaning and sterilisation. The suspension has left thousands of Muslim pilgrims in limbo. Around two-thirds of the 18.3 million umrah participants in 2018 were citizens and residents of the kingdom, according to government statistics.
ADDITIONAL MEASURES
On Saturday, SPA said entry into Saudi Arabia from the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain would be “temporarily” restricted to three airports in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Only commercial trucks will be allowed to cross by land, it added. The newly established ministry of sports said it would “suspend public attendance” at all sports events starting Saturday, reflecting calls across the Gulf to cancel mass gatherings. Some 2.5 million faithful travelled to Saudi Arabia from across the world in 2019 to take part in the Haj, which all Muslims must perform at least once in their lives if able. The event is a massive logistical challenge for Saudi authorities, with colossal crowds cramming into relatively small holy sites, making attendees vulnerable to contagion. — AFP
No comments :
Post a Comment