CAIRO (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman approved a range of initiatives aimed at assisting firms and individuals operating in support of Islamic pilgrimages, Saudi state news agency SPA said late on Monday. The initiatives are aimed at mitigating the financial and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across the sector that provides support for the haj and umrah pilgrimages, SPA said. They include exempting accommodation facilities from the annual fees for municipal commercial activities’ licenses in the cities of Mecca and Medina, where the Islamic pilgrimages take place. For expatriates working in activities related to haj and umrah, the collection of residency renewal fees will be postponed for six months, provided that the amounts are paid in installments over a year, SPA said. They will be paid in installments over a period of four months from the due date.

Source: Egypt Independent March 09, 2021 08:15 UTC