New Delhi: Indians travelling to the West or the Middle East can obtain a stopover visa for four days that will allow them to visit any city in Saudi Arabia or perform Umrah, said Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan, adding that it is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to streamline Umrah visits.
While addressing a press briefing with Minister of Minority Affairs Smriti Irani and Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan on Tuesday stressed Saudi Arabia’s streamlined Umrah experience reflects the nation’s dedication to facilitating the religious pilgrimage of Muslims worldwide.
“Indians travelling to the West or the Middle East can obtain a stopover visa, that is, for 96 hours, and get a visa within the ticket issuance process, which allows them to perform Umrah and visit any city in the Kingdom,” he said.
Noting that the Umrah Visa will be valid for 90 days, he said that the visa will allow holders to reside and travel within Saudi Arabia, ensuring an efficient and convenient pilgrimage experience.
He further said, “The Kingdom has effectively transformed Umrah into a rewarding religious expedition by utilizing technological advancements, enhanced measures and upgraded infrastructure as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to streamline Umrah visits.”
Moreover, Al-Rabiah highlighted that individuals looking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours.
“…Individuals looking to perform Umrah can now obtain a Kingdom entry visa within 48 hours. Additionally, Indian travellers can perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia using their work, tourism or Umrah visas,” he added.
The scheme seeks to streamline the visa acquisition process and enhance the overall accessibility for Umrah pilgrims.
While highlighting the meetings he held in India, Al-Rabiah said, “During our meetings, we explored various opportunities that we aim to capitalize on and challenges that we are dedicated to overcoming to facilitate the arrival of more Umrah pilgrims and visitors to the two Holy Mosques.”
Moreover, he stressed that the collaborative efforts between India and Saudi Arabia have significantly increased the number of Umrah pilgrims from India, surpassing 1.2 million in 2023.
“That is a 74 per cent increase in comparison with 2022. We are committed to initiating discussions to enhance the range of direct flights options between our two nations to accommodate an increasing number of Indians looking to perform Umrah,” he added.
Moreover, they are also focusing on enhancing capacity to meet the anticipated increase by introducing new scheduled flights through Saudi low-cost airlines.
“These efforts are complemented by initiatives to streamline visa issuance procedures and establish three new Tasheer, or visa centres in India, accommodating the increasing number of individuals seeking to perform Umrah and visit the holy sites,” he emphasised.
Furthermore, Al-Rabiah said that they will launch an exhibition in Mumbai tomorrow, “an opportunity for collaboration between Umrah and tourism companies from Saudi Arabia and India”.
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