Today, Saudi Minister of Hajj Muhammad Salih Banten called on the countries of the world to wait before making any plans for the pilgrimage until the vision about the Corona epidemic becomes clear.

He added that the kingdom "is ready to serve the pilgrims in all circumstances, but the priority is to preserve their safety."

Benten said in a statement to the Saudi news channel that his country's authorities returned the sums to those who obtained an Umrah visa and did not perform Umrah, explaining that the sums were returned to the contracted parties regarding the Umrah programs.

He added that the Kingdom is caring for 1,200 pilgrims who could not return to their countries due to the closure of airports due to the outbreak of the Corona epidemic.

On March 18, the Saudi authorities suspended prayer in the squares of the Two Holy Mosques to limit the spread of Corona, and on the fourth of this month, they decided to temporarily suspend the performance of Umrah for citizens and residents in the Kingdom, a week after suspending pilgrims from all over the world.

About 2.5 million Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage annually.