Saudi Arabia has announced a new service for overseas pilgrims, which will issue permits for Umrah and prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, as well as for visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah introduced the service in partnership with the Saudi Data & Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).
Overseas pilgrims, like residents in the kingdom, can now use Eatmarna and Tawakkalna Applications to book their Umrah trips and visit both mosques.
The ministry said those applying for the permits must first register on the Saudi Quddum platform, to be able to use Eatmarna and Tawakkalna. Travellers are advised to download both applications on their mobile phones before coming to the kingdom.
All airports in the kingdom are operating at full capacity again following new measures from Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority earlier in October.
Authorities urged users to update the two applications through the Apple or Google app stores, as well as Huawei's AppGallery and the Galaxy Store on androids.
Saudi Arabia opened Umrah for vaccinated foreign pilgrims in August, 18 months after kingdom closed its borders due to the pandemic.
Pilgrims must provide a Covid-19 vaccination certificate with their request to partake in Umrah.
The Grand Mosque opened at full capacity in October as Saudi Arabia relaxed Covid-19 measures.
The kingdom removed the requirement to wear masks and observe social distancing in open spaces, after a decline in the number of coronavirus infections, the official Saudi press agency (SPA) reported.
Pilgrims will still be required to wear face masks and make reservations to perform Umrah and prayers through the Tawakkalna and Eatmarna applications, to verify their immunity status at the entrances of the two holy mosques.
The government accelerated a nationwide vaccination drive in a bid to revive tourism and other pandemic-hit sectors, such as sports competitions and entertainment.
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2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
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- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
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2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
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Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
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He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
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Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
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