The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah stated that only ‘immunised people’ will be
granted permits to enter and perform prayers and Umrah in the Grand Mosque in
Mecca.
Saudi authorities said on Monday that only COVID-19 immunised would be allowed to travel to Umrah for the rest of the year, starting with the holy month of Ramadan.
The Hajj and Umrah Department said in a statement that only "vaccinated people" will be granted permission to perform Umrah and prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca.
This includes people who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, those who received one dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before the pilgrimage, or someone who has recovered from the virus, the department said.
The department also said it would increase the operational capacity of the holy mosque in line with the steps and limitations of COVID-19.
It was also unclear whether the policy, which comes amid the outbreak of coronavirus-infected disease in Saudi Arabia, will be extended to the annual Hajj pilgrimage later this year.
Saudi Arabia reported more than 393,000 coronavirus infections and more than 6,700 deaths caused by the virus.
The state Department of Health says it has administered more than five million coronavirus drugs, in a country with a population of over 34 million.
Last month, King Salman took over as Hajj minister, months after the state held the youngest Hajj in modern history as a result of the epidemic.
Mohammad Benten was released and replaced by Essam bin Saeed, according to a royal resolution issued by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Only 10,000 Saudi Arabian residents were allowed to take part in the Hajj last year, which is far from the 2.5 million Muslims from around the world who participated in 2019.
Evidence of vaccination
With the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine worldwide, the idea of vaccination passports or certificates has become a viable solution to reopen international borders on the safe travel and development of tourism sectors that have suffered the most under the coronavirus ban.
Last month China unveiled a system of health certificates for Chinese citizens traveling abroad.
The digital certificate, which reflects the user's status of the vaccine and the results of the virus test, is available to Chinese citizens through the Chinese social networking site WeChat.
The UK government is also considering asking people to show evidence of the COVID-19 vaccine to reach densely populated areas such as beaches or sporting events.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson once said a certificate may be required for travel abroad. However, British MPs from all political backgrounds in the letter opposed the move in the future, calling it "divisive and discriminatory".
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