The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that women can wear any attire they like during the rituals, as long as it is loose fitting, free of ornaments, and covers their bodies. The ministry posted the rules on X, a social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The dress code was announced as the Umrah season is gaining momentum in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom expects around 10 million Muslims from abroad to visit the Grand Mosque in Mecca for Umrah during the current season, which started almost two months ago.
The season began after the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which was attended by around 1.8 million Muslims for the first time in three years, following the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.
Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage that Muslims can perform at any time of the year, unlike Hajj, which is obligatory and has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
Umrah involves some of the same rituals as Hajj, such as circling around the Kaaba seven times and walking between the hills of Safa and Marwah. However, Umrah is less time-consuming and does not require some of the other steps of Hajj. Muslims who cannot afford or physically perform Hajj often go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah instead.
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