Saudi Arabia has revised its Umrah visa regulations, which will see visas being automatically cancelled 30 days after issuance if the pilgrim does not enter the Gulf kingdom within that time. The new policy is expected to take effect next week, Saudi state-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya reported on Thursday. Under the changes, the validity of the Umrah visa before entry will be reduced from three months to one month from the date of issuance. More than four million Umrah visas have been issued to international pilgrims since the new Umrah season began in early June, according to Al Arabiya. Compared to previous years, the current Umrah season is achieving record numbers of international pilgrims within just five months of its launch.
