Compulsory booster jabs for umrah a requirement by Saudi Arabia, says religious affairs minister

The new SOP making it mandatory for Malaysian umrah pilgrims to receive a Covid-19 vaccine booster is based on a request by the Saudi Arabian government, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad.

“The booster dose is a requirement by the Saudi government for umrah pilgrims. It (Saudi Arabia) has issued a circular, so we have to comply.

“The door to the Holy Land is open from today. So our pilgrims have to follow the conditions set in order to go there,” he told reporters after attending an event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

However he said his team did not have the figures on prospective umrah pilgrims who have received booster shots.

He said the statistics on prospective Malaysian umrah pilgrims who have received booster doses are with the tourism, arts and culture ministry as the umrah SOPs are under the ministry’s purview.