MALAPPURAM: Now that Saudi Arabia has placed a temporary ban on Umrah pilgrims from many countries including India, the pilgrims in the state are a worried lot. What if their visa period expires before the ban is lifted, many ask.On Thursday, Saudi had issued a notification suspending entry for pilgrims heading to Mecca and Medina for Umrah, as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to wreak havoc across the Middle East. In fact, many pilgrims who reached the airports in the state early in the morning had to return to their homes, after the airlines informed them of the ban.
According to the Indian Hajj Umrah Group Association members, no one could give a proper answer regarding the renewal of the visa. “Though there are unofficial reports claiming that Saudi might lift the ban in March, no one knows the exact details. The steps to allot a new visa might only be taken after lifting the ban. As of now, we have no official information on how long this might continue,” said Binyamin T P, a member of the association.
According to the association, a majority of Umrah pilgrims are from Kerala. In fact, thousands of pilgrims from the state have already booked flight tickets to Saudi. Meanwhile, sources with the airlines said they would refund the flight ticket fares of the pilgrims.