Saudi Arabia: Over 150,000 Umrah pilgrims benefit from new hair-cutting service at Mecca's Grand Mosque

Alsharq Tribune- Mohamed Otaify 

More than 150,000 Umrah pilgrims have benefited a newly introduced hair-cutting service at the Grand Mosque in Mecca to exit the state of Ihram during the holy month of Ramadan, according to the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque.

With the service, launched as a pilot programme on the first day of Ramadan, pilgrims have been for the first time able to complete the ritual of exiting from Ihram within the mosque’s courtyard.

Traditionally performed outside the sacred premises, the haircut — required to conclude Umrah — can now be carried out at 12 designated stations near the Marwa area. Equipped with mobile salon units, the Presidency has deployed 112 staff members and fully sterilised tools to serve both male and female pilgrims.

The initiative aims to ease congestion and enhance the spiritual experience for worshippers, especially during the high-traffic days of Ramadan.

n addition to the hair-cutting service, the Presidency reported that 836,574 pilgrims benefited from various cart services over the first 21 days of Ramadan.

These included 643,364 users of electric golf carts, 168,228 users of advanced paid carts, and 24,982 who used manual carts offered free of charge