Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said al-Malki said that Pakistani Umrah pilgrims will not need to renew their Umrah visas, they can use their existing Umrah visas once the travel restrictions are lifted.

The Saudi envoy further said that travel ban on Umrah pilgrims in on ‘temporary basis,’ which will be lifted as the situation improves.

Saudi Arabia on Thursday placed an immediate ban on Umrah pilgrims travelling from the countries where coronavirus cases have been confirmed including Pakistan, after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the country.

In a statement the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country has temporarily suspended entry of individuals seeking to perform Umrah pilgrimage or visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

The statement further said that these precautions are temporary and are subject to continuous evaluation by the authorities. The kingdom has not reported cases of the coronavirus, but surrounding Bahrain and Kuwait have confirmed cases.