Saudi Arabia has unveiled an electronic system to refund Umrah fees in the wake of the kingdom’s decision to suspend entry for pilgrims over coronavirus fears.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that there is an electronic mechanism to request the refund of visa fees and service charges through Umrah agents in the respective countries where the pilgrims intended to set out for their pilgrimage.
On Thursday, Saudi authorities imposed a temporary ban on the entry of pilgrims in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 30 other countries, including the US, the UK, UAE, Singapore, France, Russia, Spain, Iran, Kuwait, and Pakistan.
The World Health Organization, which has already declared the outbreak an international health emergency, raised the global coronavirus alert level from high to “very high” on Friday.