What happened: Saudi Arabia has announced that Muslim holders of the FIFA World Cup tickets will be able to perform Umrah in the country without having to pay for a visa. Details: It is not necessary to pay for the annual pilgrimage to Makkah for individuals who have a Hayya card, which is the identification card given to spectators attending Fifa World Cup matches in Qatar. Hayya card holders can stay in Saudi Arabia for up to two months, according to a recent announcement made by Khaled al-Shammari, an assistant director of the visa division at the Saudi foreign ministry. What else: The card-holders could enter and exit Saudi Arabia many times during the two-month term without having to enter Qatar, Shammari told Ekhbariya TV, adding that the visa was free but that medical insurance had to be obtained through the visa portal.
