RIYADH — The Haj Ministry said no changes have been made for this year's Umrah season and Umrah is open as usual for everyone. The ministry's undersecretary, Issa Rawwas, said the number of Umrah pilgrims will be set according to the quota decided by the crowd management experts and the intake capacity of the Grand Mosque. "This is within the royal directives aimed at preserving the safety and comfort of the pilgrims," he added. Rawwas said the process of arrival and departure is worked out in such a way that no more than 200,000 to 400,000 pilgrims will be present in the Kingdom at a time. He said more than 5 million visas were issued so far this Umrah season and since late November, more than 4.5 million pilgrims arrived in the country and left after performing their religious rituals.
