Saturday, March 13, 2021

Ramadan Umrah 2021: All hopes of Muslims from India, Pakistan and other parts of the world to perform Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan this year ended Saturday after Saudi Arabia extended flight ban till May 2021.

According to the latest advisory issued by the Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority, all international flights to and from the Kingdom will remain suspended till May 17, 2021.

Ramadan 2021 start date is April 11 or 12, based on sighting of the new moon. Accordingly, the latest advisory issued by Saudi Aviation Authority extending the ban on international flights till May 17 means Muslims from abroad will not be able to travel to the Kingdom to perform Umrah during the holy month of Ramadan this year too.

This will be the second consecutive year when Muslims from outside Saudi Arabia will miss the opportunity to perform Ramadan Umrah in Makkah. Last year, the Pandemic had forced suspension of all international flights leading to travel restrictions for Umrah travellers.

In 2020, the severity of the pandemic was so strong that even those residing in the Kingdom were not allowed to perform Umrah as the local authorities had restricted entries and prayers in the Holy Mosque in Makkah and other cities of Saudi Arabia, including Madinah.

Saudi Arabia however lifted the ban on Umrah for local pilgrims on October 4, 2020 after easing of Covid cases. A further easing of the restrictions was announced when the ban on international flights was lifted and pilgrims from abroad were allowed in phased manner from November 5, 2020.

The Kingdom however re-imposed ban on international flights after new Covid-19 variants first reported in UK, Brazil and South Africa was seen in Saudi Arabia in February 2021.

Alarmed by the fresh wave of Covid-19 cases, Saudi Arabia announced suspension of all international flights till March 31, 2021. The Kingdom extended the ban till May 17, 2021 as the new cases of Coronavirus continue to remain high.

Source: https://ummid.com/news/2021/march/13.03.2021/ramadan-umrah-2021-latest-news.html