The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia has refused to accept the COVID-19 test reports of intending Pakistani pilgrims that were conducted in Pakistani government laboratories.
In a fresh change of policy, the Saudi Hajj Ministry clarified that the pilgrim’s COVID-19 test reports will be admissible if conducted at one of six designated laboratories.
It also mentioned that the tests must be conducted 72 hours before the flight instead of 48 hours, as instructed earlier.
Sources said that the Saudi authorities had conveyed the same to the Ministry of Religious Affairs earlier but the former had suggested that the COVID-19 test reports from government laboratories be made available at the expense of the government to save the cost.
Subsequently, each Hajj pilgrim will now bear an additional burden of Rs. 4,250, and 81,210 Pakistani pilgrims will pay an additional amount of over Rs. 345 million for COVID-19 testing.
The new set of rules comes days after Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced that people over the age of 65 will not be allowed entry into the kingdom.
Its guidelines also specified that the pilgrims should get the coronavirus vaccine doses that are permitted by their countries’ governments and should test negative for the virus 48 hours before traveling to Saudi Arabia.
