Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has increased the stay time for worshipping inside Riaz-ul-Jannah at Masjid-e-Nabvi to 10 minutes.
As mentioned by the Saudi authorities, the time to stay there has been fixed to 10 minutes, whereas pilgrims have to seek a permit through mobile applications Tawakkalna and Eatmarna, in order to visit the Riaz-ul-Jannah.
During the Hajj season, the maximum stay time in Riaz-ul-Jannah was fixed at only seven minutes due to a large number of Hajj pilgrims.
About the holy site, it is a 22 meters long and 15 meters wide area located within the bounds of Masjid-e-Nabvi, and pilgrims wish to offer two rakats of Nafl prayer there.
In a related story, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah declared that Umrah is now allowed on every type of visa including the tourist visa.
The Undersecretary of the ministry, Abdul Tahman Shams, confirmed that anyone visiting Saudi Arabia would be able to perform Umrah even if they have a tourist visa.
Moreover, he informed that the appointment for Umrah could be booked through the Eatmarna app. Below is the list of visas on which people can perform the Umrah:
- Student Visa
- Personal Visit Visa
- Family Visit Visa
- Business Visit Visa
- Tourist Visa
- Extension of Exit/Re-Entry Visa
- Premium Residency Visa
- Government Visa
- Diplomatic Missions & Organizations
- Diplomatic & Official Visas
- Hajj and Umrah Visa
- Companion Visa
- Employment Visa
- Newborn Visa
- Residence Visa
According to him, the decision was made in order to achieve 30 million Umrah pilgrims annually under the Saudi 2030 vision. The 2030 vision is meant to diversify Saudi’s oil-dependent economy.
As per Saudi officials, they expect over 10 million Umrah pilgrims in the upcoming season.
