Islamabad: Saudi Arabia has announced the introduction of a new Umrah policy to make Umrah arrangements more systematic and digital, which will be implemented in phases from 1st Rabi-ul-Awwal. Under the new policy, several changes have been introduced in the procedure for obtaining Umrah visas, which are aimed at providing better facilities and integrated services to the pilgrims.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, for the upcoming Umrah visa, only hotel booking and transport confirmation will not be enough. A food voucher must also be submitted with the application, the minimum value of which has been set at 20 Saudi riyals for each night of stay. The aim of this measure is to ensure that pilgrims have access to adequate and organized food facilities during their stay.
The ministry said that the new policy will be implemented through the Nusuk digital platform, where accommodation, transport, food and other related services will be integrated under a single system. In the initial phase, the system is being applied to Umrah pilgrims from Pakistan, India, Egypt and Bangladesh.
According to officials, about 10,000 restaurants in Makkah and Madinah have been connected to the Nusuk platform to provide pilgrims with quality, safe and timely food. In addition, new responsibilities have been set for Umrah companies, hotels, transport operators and catering providers to improve the quality of services from the beginning to the end of the journey.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also stressed that action will continue against service providers who violate the regulations. According to the ministry, the newly approved Umrah companies have been linked to the Nasik system to make monitoring, transparency and quality of service delivery more effective. The new policy is expected to make Umrah arrangements more organised, transparent and in line with the needs of pilgrims.