Category: 2. World

Doha, Qatar: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that citizens and residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can perform Umrah at any time and enter through any port, as it unveiled a simplified process for pilgrims.

GCC citizens can obtain their Umrah entry permit through the Nusuk application and enter directly through land or air ports. 

Meanwhile, several visa types are available for GCC residents who wish to perform Umrah. These visas include: Umrah Visa via the Nusuk platform; Transit Visa which is granted when flying with Saudia or flynas; and Tourist Visa which can be applied via the Saudi Foreign Ministry website. 

The Ministry affirmed that both GCC citizens and residents are required to have a permit issued through the Nusuk app prior performing Umrah and praying in the Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah.

The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to streamline pilgrimage procedures and enhance their experience. 

The Ministry resumed issuing Umrah visas for international pilgrims on June 10 while Nusuk Umrah permits began to be issued the following day.

An Israeli air attack on Tehran’s Evin Prison during this month’s 12-day war has killed at least 71 people, Iran’s judiciary says, days after a ceasefire ended hostilities between the two arch foes.

The strike on Monday, the day before the ceasefire between Israel and Iran took hold, destroyed part of the administrative building at Evin, a large, heavily fortified complex in northern Tehran that rights groups said holds political prisoners and foreign nationals.

“According to official figures, 71 people were killed in the attack on Evin Prison,” judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said on Sunday of an attack that was part of the bombardment campaign Israel launched on June 13.

According to Jahangir, the victims at Evin included administrative staff, guards, prisoners and visiting relatives as well as people living nearby.

The judiciary said Evin’s medical centre and visiting rooms were targeted.

A day after the strike, the judiciary said Iran’s prison authority had transferred inmates out of Evin Prison without specifying their number or identifying them.

The inmates at Evin have included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and several French nationals and other foreigners.