JEDDAH, 5 November 2004 — Saudi diplomatic missions abroad issued 2.6 million Umrah visas this year, an increase of 16 percent over last year. The visas were issued over a period of nine months extending from the lunar month of Safar until the fasting month of Ramadan (February-October 2004), said Ibrahim Al-Kharashi, deputy foreign minister for consular affairs.
He said pilgrims coming to the Kingdom for Umrah have until the end of this month to leave the country after which their visas will expire. Preparations for this year’s Umrah season began at an earlier date to avoid confusion and congestion and to facilitate the arrival of pilgrims in the Kingdom.
