New 'photography' guidelines issued for pilgrims at Two Holy Mosques

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has issued a new set of guidelines for the pilgrims regarding photography and videography at the Two Holy Mosques — Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina — during the pilgrimage.

Keeping the sanctity of the holy sites in view, the Saudi authorities said that some measures have been taken in the said regard.

"In the Two Holy Mosques, we take into account the sanctity of the place, so we have the etiquette of photography, and we preserve the rights of others," a statement released on the ministry's Twitter said.

As per the new guidlines, the pilgrims have been advised:

• Not to take others' pictures without their consent
• Not to take anyone's pictures while they are praying
• Not to disturb anyone during worship

Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had announced that the pilgrims will be permitted to perform Umrah only once during Ramadan and would not be allowed to repeat the ritual.

The move aims to give an opportunity to all pilgrims who want to perform Umrah during the holy month and can perform the rituals with ease and comfort.

The ministry stressed the need for pilgrims to get a permit from the Nusuk app to perform Umrah, in addition to the importance of their commitment to the specified time.

There is no feature to amend the Umrah date, but pilgrims can delete their appointment via the Nusuk app, before entering the permitted time and then they can issue a new permit, Saudi Gazette reported.

The ministry confirmed that the appointments are updated periodically, noting that if the pilgrims do not find a date for reservation, then they can search for another date at a later time.