Women are permitted to do Hajj and Umrah without the presence of a male guardian.
Saudi Hajj and Umrah Minister announced the decision.
Ladies are authorised to go on pilgrimage if they are accompanied by “trustworthy women or secure company.”
According to a former advisor, this choice makes their lives simpler.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said that women worldwide may now do Hajj and Umrah without the presence of a mahram (blood relative) or a male guardian.
The declaration was made during a press conference by Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, thereby ending the Kingdom’s decades-long control, according to Arab News.
According to the Hajj Minister, anyone with any visa may undertake Hajj and Umrah with pleasure and visit any place in the nation. “There is no set quota for Umrah travellers,” he continued.
Al-Rabiah said that preparations are being made to ensure the greatest number of Umrah pilgrims arrive.
Ladies are allowed to undertake Hajj or Umrah without a mahram if they are accompanied by “trustworthy women or safe company.
” According to Hajj and Umrah Services Adviser Ahmed Saleh Halabi, “this is the stance of the Maliki and Shafi’i scholars.”
“Abbas Shoman, the fatwa supervisor at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Egypt, decided in March that a woman is entitled to undertake Hajj and Umrah without an accompanying mahram,” Halabi added.
Meanwhile, Faten Ibrahim Hussein, a former advisor to the Minister of Hajj, said that pilgrims are given with the necessary facilities to do Hajj and Umrah in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030.
“Allowing women to undertake Umrah without the need of a mahram makes life simpler for them since many have poor socioeconomic circumstances and may not be able to locate a mahram, or it may cost them a lot, although they are anxious to perform Umrah,” Hussein said.
