RIYADH, 10 July — Authorities launched a web portal yesterday to speed up the paperwork for pilgrims registering to perform Umrah round the year.
“Bab Al-Umra will facilitate the Ministry of Haj’s supervision of the performance of local Umrah establishments and their foreign agents and the quality of services being provided to visiting pilgrims,” portal manager Tareq Hefni said.
The portal will also set the mechanisms and create channels through which visas, reservations, bookings, fares and relevant information could be exchanged, Hefni said. The portal, hosted by Alamiah Internet and Communications Co., will be the Saudi government’s first foray into e-governance, he added.
In April, Saudi authorities began issuing one-month visas to Muslims performing Umrah to allow them to stay on in the Kingdom for tourism purposes.
They said they expect more than two million people to visit the Kingdom annually to perform Umrah under the new system. Another two million, including Saudis, take part in the annual Haj. (AN)
