SAUDI HAJJ UMRAH MINISTRY SAYS THERE IS NO CHANGE IN HAJJ THIS YEAR THE COUNTRY IS PERFECT FOR RECEIVING BELIEVERS. BUT THE FINAL DECISION WILL ONLY BE MADE AS COVID'S SITUATION MOVES ON. HAJJ UMRAH MINISTER MOHAMMED SALIH BANTHAN SAID. THE MINISTRY HAS INFORMED VARIOUS COMPANIES THAT CONTRACTS SHOULD NOT BE SIGNED IN HASTE UNTIL THE COVID UNCERTAINTY GOES AWAY.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE SOME FALSE RUMORS THAT THE HAJJ WAS STOPPED. THE HAJJ WILL BE HELD ON THE LAST WEEK OF JULY. MEANWHILE, IN THE LAST WEEK OF MAY, AIRLINES HAVE STOPPED BOOKING FLIGHTS FOR UMRAH GROUPS. SAUDI AIRLINES, THE OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF SAUDI ARABIA, HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL STOP BOOKING UNTIL THE END OF MAY. THE AIRLINE ALSO SAID IT WILL REFUND THE MONEY TO GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS BOOKED SO FAR. THE DECISION WILL BE BASED ON CHANGING THE WORLD COVID19 SITUATION.
REGULAR BOOKINGS FOR VARIOUS GROUPS HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED UNTIL APRIL 15. THOSE WHO HAVE BOOKED SO FAR WILL ALSO BE REFUNDED. THERE ARE 1,200 TRAPPED PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY UNDER THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH. THEY WILL BE SENT BACK AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUES. THE HAJJ UMRAH MINISTRY SAID THAT IT HAS ALREADY RE-FUNDED UMRAH BOOKINGS FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT FUNCTION.