Saudi Arabia allows Umrah pilgrims to visit all cities

Saudi Arabia announced on Monday that foreign Umrah performers can visit any city in the country with their 30-day Umrah visa, according Al Arabiya.

However, 15 days must be spent in visiting the two grand mosques in Makkah and Madinah during their 30-day Umrah stay, said Abdulaziz Wazzan, undersecretary of Hajj Ministry for Umrah Affairs, to Xinhua news agency.

He revealed that more than 1,000 pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia a week ago, while more than 25,000 Umrah visas were issued over the most recent four days.

The move comes as Saudi Arabia is taking major steps including promoting tourism to diversify its economy, in order to get ready for the post-oil era.