umrah Archives - Voice of the Cape

Stricter Saudi rules pose challenges for South African pilgrims and operators

By Ragheema Mclean The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) has confirmed that the Hajj quota for the 1446/2025 pilgrimage will remain fixed at 2,500 pilgrims. A new regulation from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires local travel operators to manage a minimum of 500 registered pilgrims. Speaking on VOC’s PM Drive, Chairperson of South African Muslim Travel Operators (Samtoa), Sedick Steenkamp […]

11 October 2024

International

Hujaaj gears up for the day of Arafat

By Kouthar Sambo As the Hajj 1445 season dawns upon us, Hujaaj prepares for the day of Arafat and is undergoing emotional, physical, mental, and psychological shifts during these sacred preparations. Speaking to VOC news, an elderly woman, Wardia Sambo, rehashed her first time on Hajj in 1984 at the age of 32 when she left for four and a half months, leaving behind her husband, three young children (ages […]

12 June 2024

Local

SAHUC urges caution when dealing with Non-Accredited Umrah travel operators

By Ragheema Mclean The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) has issued a reminder to prospective pilgrims emphasizing the limited timeframe for acceptance or deferral of accreditation for Hajj 2024. With only four days left for accredited pilgrims to confirm their status, SAHUC set a deadline of December 31, 2023, at 6PM. Speaking on the VOC Breakfast show on Thursday, SAHUC President Moaaz Casoo said just over 1100 pilgrims […]

28 December 2023

International

Queen Elizabeth II: Saudi police arrest man after dedicating Umrah pilgrimage to late monarch

INTERNATIONAL A man who dedicated an Umrah pilgrimage to the late Queen Elizabeth II from the Grand Mosque of Mecca was arrested by Saudi police on Monday. The Saudi Public Security agency said on Twitter the Yemeni resident was arrested for violating the Umrah rules by carrying a sign after he posted a video of himself during his pilgrimage with a banner that read: "Umrah for the soul of Queen Elizabeth II, we ask Allah to accept […]

13 September 2022

News

Detailed preparations underway for SA pilgrims to travel for umrah

Travel operators expect the South African umrah season to start in December or January next year. Although South Africa’s borders are open for travel and umrah for international travellers has commenced, South Africans have not been granted umrah visas by the Saudi government yet. In October, Saudi Arabia began the gradual resumption of Umrah, after suspending the pilgrimage for seven months during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 700 000 domestic […]

12 November 2020

International News

Saudi Arabia allows foreign pilgrims to enter for Umrah

Some 10,000 foreign pilgrims are arriving in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah after a seven-month pause because of the coronavirus pandemic. The pilgrims must isolate for three days after arrival before being transported to religious sites, according to Amr Al-Maddah, deputy minister of Hajj and Umrah. They will be allowed a 10-day stay in the kingdom. Al-Maddah said the testing of pilgrims – who are all 50 years old or […]

1 November 2020

International News

Pilgrims return to Mecca as Saudi Arabia eases COVID restrictions

A limited number of people circled Islam’s holiest site in Mecca on Sunday after Saudi Arabia lifted coronavirus restrictions that had been in place for months. The kingdom took the rare step of suspending the Umrah – the smaller pilgrimage that draws millions all year round from around the world – in early March as the coronavirus morphed into a global pandemic and prompted countries to impose lockdowns and curfews […]

4 October 2020

News

Saudi Kingdom launches mobile app to regulate Umrah pilgrims amidst covid-19 pandemic

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has developed a mobile application that will be available a week before the umrah resumes so that pilgrims can register and book on it. They will also need to follow the health guidelines provided in the app. The app will ensure the implementation of coronavirus regulations. The purpose of launching the app under the name of Itemarna is to provide immediate entry permits […]

28 September 2020

News

SAHUC slams sour critics on R5million surplus

The South African Hajj and Umrah Council has released its audited financial statements for 2019-2020, which shows it has a surplus of over R5 million. This is an increase of R465 000 compared to last year. Sahuc's financial income, until March 2020, was released during its annual general meeting held in Johannesburg on Sunday. However, after raised-eyebrows from the public, SAHUC President Shaheen Essop cleared the air and ensured the […]

28 September 2020

umrah

Download our new app

Download
our new app