JEDDAH — The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that pilgrims and visitors can benefit from more than 2,764 facilities providing health services in various cities and regions of the Kingdom during the current Umrah season, as part of the insurance program for Umrah performers coming from from all over the world.

A selection of 151 public and private sector hospitals will provide services to pilgrims and visitors coming to Makkah and Madinah, in addition to 773 health centers and polyclinics, as well as 1,840 medical laboratories and pharmacies all over the Kingdom.

The insurance program aims to enhance the quality of life for Umrah pilgrims and visitors while they are in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and pray in the Prophet's Mosque. The program was launched by the Ministry to improve quality of service provided to pilgrims and to enrich their religious and cultural experience within the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The insurance policy provides healthcare and travel protection and harnesses all capabilities and efforts to serve pilgrims and fulfil all their requirements from the moment they arrive in the Kingdom and until their departure after performing the rituals. This comes within the objectives of Vision 2030 to improve the experience of pilgrims by enabling them to perform Umrah utilizing swift solutions and options, and to make it easier for them to perform the rituals in peace and comfort until they return to their country safely.

The Ministry recently announced a set of facilities for pilgrims, which include allowing the Umrah pilgrimage for all types of visas, canceling age requirements, and procedural restrictions related to the presence of a mahram for women, in addition to facilitating the movement of pilgrims between cities and regions of the Kingdom, and extending the period of the Umrah visa from 30 days to 90 days, with the aim of facilitating the arrival of pilgrims with ease and tranquility , raising the quality of services provided, and enriching the religious and cultural experience of the pilgrims. — SG