RIYADH: In a bid to facilitate more pilgrims to perform Umrah, the Saudi government has reduced the cost of comprehensive insurance by 63 percent for overseas Umrah performers. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has cut the cost from SR235 ($62) to SR87 with effect from Jan. 10. Saudi Arabia’s unified insurance policy for Umrah is meant to cover all the pilgrims coming from outside of the Kingdom for the Islamic pilgrimage. As part of a visa procedure, pilgrims are required to take Umrah insurance that covers emergency cases such as treatment, admission, hospitalization, pregnancy, emergency childbirth, emergency dental cases, traffic accident injuries, dialysis cases, and internal and external medical evacuation. It also covers general cases such as accidental permanent total disability, cases of death and death due to natural disasters. The insurance also covers returning the body of the deceased to his country in the case of death, and blood money issued by a court ruling. It also includes covers for flight delay compensation and flight cancellation compensation. The ministry said that the insurance coverage period is 90 days, starting from the day of entering the Kingdom, and the scope of its coverage is only within Saudi Arabia. The ministry added that intending Umrah performers can visit the website of the Comprehensive Insurance Program for the Guests of Rahman to view the Umrah insurance policy, verify its validity, and know service providers. Earlier, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had announced that those who obtained tourist and commercial visas would now be allowed to perform the Umrah pilgrimage during their stay in Saudi Arabia. The system allows people to obtain a tourist visa, valid for 12 months, upon arrival at one of the Saudi airports without the need for a prior application. The visa holders will be allowed to visit the cities and regions all over the Kingdom. The visa applicants shall be from those countries that are included among the countries eligible for obtaining the electronic visa. Regarding those who are holders of American, UK and Schengen visas, their visas shall be valid and bear an entry stamp from the issuing country. Furthermore, the Hajj package prices this year start from SR3,984, a big decrease from 2021, when the first basic package started from SR12,000.