Indonesia Not to Introduce Restrictions on Sending Umrah Pilgrims to Saudi Arabia

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Indonesia’s government will allow pilgrims to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (minor haj) later this month.

This is while experts say the move is risky given the threat of the emerging Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which has been detected in Saudi Arabia.

The Indonesian Religious Affairs Ministry’s Hajj and Umrah director general Hilman Latief said there were no plans to restrict Umrah pilgrims at the moment.

He said the first batch of pilgrims were expected to depart for the kingdom in the middle of this month.

"We’ll push through with the plan [to send Umrah pilgrims], since there is currently no travel ban between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia," Hilman said on Friday.

Source: The Jakarta Post