The Saudi authorities’ denial of visas for Umrah — the pilgrimage to Mecca that can take place throughout the year — to more than 50,000 Egyptians this year made the headlines in Egypt over the past two weeks.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has stopped the online application procedure of Umrah visas for Egyptians without giving prior notice, causing a crisis between travel agencies and thousands of Umrah pilgrims on the one hand, and between the travel agencies and the government on the other. The government was asked to take a stance since this crisis has been ongoing for two consecutive years: 75,000 Egyptians were unable to perform Umrah pilgrimage last year.