Umrah reopens for Yemenis after 3-year hiatus

Yemen’s Ministry of Religious Endowments and Guidance’s Hajj and Umrah Sector has opened the door for Yemenis who wish to perform umrah this year, a Yemeni official told Al-Mashareq.

The move comes after Saudi authorities on May 28th agreed to the resumption of umrah for Yemenis, after the kingdom suspended the lesser pilgrimage in mid-2015 over the deteriorating situation due to the ongoing war.

Hajj and umrah agencies on Sunday (June 3rd) initiated registration and visa issuance procedures in Yemen for those desiring to perform umrah this year.

In a statement carried by local media, the ministry called on Yemeni citizens who wish to perform umrah to register with some 48 approved agencies during the registration period, which extends from June 3rd to 28th.

The umrah fees, including accommodation and transportation, are to be specified by the approved agencies, the ministry said, stressing that these agencies will be overseen and monitored by its Hajj and Umrah Sector.

"The ministry has made huge efforts to convince the Saudi authorities to reopen the doors for Yemenis to perform umrah," said Assistant Deputy Minister of Religious Endowments and Guidance Tariq al-Qurashi.

"These efforts are part of steps taken by the ministry to facilitate citizens’ paperwork and alleviate their suffering so they can perform the holy rituals with ease," he told Al-Mashareq.

Al-Qurashi said he expected demand would be low, with only about 2,000 or 2,500 people taking part in pilgrimages during the umrah season this year because it is close to hajj and was opened unexpectedly.

"The ministry expects a high demand on the next umrah season, which extends from after hajj this year for 10 months," he said.