{
  "id": 1512483,
  "title": "Iran resumes Umrah after six-month pause with 18,000 pilgrims",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/iran-resumes-umrah-after-six-month-pause-with-18-000-pilgrims",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T16:00:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/iran-resumes-umrah-after-six-month-pause-with-18000-pilgrims-1.500643961"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Iran has announced the resumption of sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, following a six-month hiatus. According to Fars News Agency, the first phase of the programme will see 18,000 people travelling. Akbar Rezaei, deputy head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation, revealed that one flight will depart each day from various provinces to Saudi Arabia during this initial phase. Registration for Umrah will commence in early Shahrivar, the sixth month of Iran's Solar Hijri calendar, which begins in late August. The current pool of Umrah registration voucher holders stands at around five million. In the past, approximately 200,000 Iranians embarked on the pilgrimage within a year, with over 1,300 pilgrims traveling daily towards the end of the previous year. The success and growth of the programme will hinge on securing flight arrangements and the necessary foreign currency. The Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation must finalize flight arrangements and acquire the foreign currency needed for the trips. The cost of Umrah is partially dependent on foreign currency, and any restrictions on flight availability could impact future departures. Economic expert Hamed Aslani advocated for calculating foreign-currency costs using the actual exchange rate, suggesting that allocating cheaper foreign currency would transfer the financial burden to the government. Ehsan Malekzadeh, a pilgrimage group manager, argued that pilgrims should not bear all travel costs at market rates and urged the government and Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation to provide foreign currency at a favorable rate to manage expenses and avoid price hikes. Experts propose that Iran’s central bank should allocate a portion of the required foreign currency to the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation for each phase of Umrah departures. This strategy could help prevent currency market fluctuations from directly affecting pilgrimage costs. With 18,000 pilgrims slated for the first phase and five million voucher holders eagerly awaiting the pilgrimage, the number of subsequent departures will depend on the availability of flights and foreign currency.",
  "summary": "Dubai: Iran will resume sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Umrah after a six-month suspension, with 18,000 people scheduled to travel in the first phase of the programme, official Fars News Agency reported. Akbar Rezaei, deputy head of Iran’s Hajj and Pilgrimage Organisation for Hajj and Umrah affairs, said that during the initial phase, one flight will depart every five days from different…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}