After the rare closure of the Great Mosque of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia allows non-pilgrims to circumambulate the Kaaba

The Saudi authorities announced today, Saturday, that permitting the opening of the circumambulation around the Kaaba for non-pilgrims, and restricting entry to the airports from the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain to only three airports, as part of measures to address the new Corona virus (Covid-19).

The President of the Two Holy Mosques, Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais said that a royal order came to allow the opening of the sect for non-pilgrims starting from dawn today, Saturday, according to the plan drawn up for that, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

And Thursday, the authorities announced the closure of the courtyard around the Kaaba, and the endeavor between Safa and Marwah throughout the period of suspension of Umrah, as the prayer would only be inside the mosque.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia decided to temporarily suspend Umrah for citizens, residents, and all residents of the holy city of Makkah, as the forbidden would not be permitted to enter the Sacred Mosque and the surrounding squares.

A curtain was also built around the Kaaba, in a precautionary measure, to prevent the two sects from touching the curtain of the Kaaba, the Black Stone, and the shrine of the Prophet of God, Ibrahim, peace be upon him.

New procedures
This comes at a time when the authorities temporarily restricted entry into the Kingdom through land ports with the Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain on commercial trucks only.

She also temporarily restricted entry from those countries to three airports (King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam) as part of procedures to tackle the Corona virus.

According to the statements of an official source in the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Health will take all necessary precautions in the aforementioned airports, as well as with regard to truck drivers and their escorts in the land ports, where these measures will start immediately.

Certain injuries
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health announced today the emergence of laboratory results confirming the infection of two citizens with the new Corona virus, bringing the total infections to seven cases.

Health said that one of them is coming from Iran via the Kingdom of Bahrain, and did not disclose at the Saudi port about its presence in Iran.

She pointed out that the second case of a woman coming from Najaf in Iraq through the Emirates, did not disclose this at the port.

The ministry explained that all seven cases that were announced are currently isolated in the hospital, and they are being dealt with.