MECCA, Saudi Arabia, Oct 17, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - The Grand Mosque in the

Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia operated at full capacity Sunday,
with worshippers praying shoulder-to-shoulder for the first time since the
coronavirus pandemic began.

   Workers removed floor markings that guide people to social distance in and
around the Grand Mosque, which is built around the Kaaba, the black cubic
structure towards which Muslims around the world pray.

   "This is in line with the decision to ease precautionary measures and to
allow pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque at full capacity," reported
the official Saudi Press Agency.

   Pictures and footage on Sunday morning showed people praying side by side,
making straight rows of worshippers that are formations revered in performing
Muslim prayers, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold last
year.

   While social distancing measures were lifted, the authorities said
visitors must be fully vaccinated against coronavirus and must continue to
wear masks on mosque grounds.

   Also, the Kaaba remained cordoned off and out of reach.

   Saudi Arabia announced in August it will begin accepting vaccinated
foreigners wanting to make the umrah pilgrimage.

   The umrah can be undertaken at any time and usually draws millions from
around the globe, as does the annual hajj, which abled-bodied Muslims who
have the means must perform at least once in their lifetime.

   In July, only around 60,000 inoculated residents were allowed to take part
in a vastly scaled down form of the annual hajj.

   The Covid-19 pandemic hugely disrupted both Muslim pilgrimages, which are
usually key revenue earners for the kingdom that rake in a combined $12
billion annually.

   Hosting the pilgrimages is a matter of prestige for Saudi rulers, for whom
the custodianship of Islam's holiest sites is their most powerful source of
political legitimacy.

   The once-reclusive kingdom began issuing tourist visas permitting foreign
visitors to undertake more than just the pilgrimages for the first time in
2019 as part of an ambitious push to revamp its global image and diversify
income. Between September 2019 and March 2020, it issued 400,000 of them --
only for the pandemic to crush that momentum as borders were closed.

   But the kingdom is slowly opening up, and has started welcoming vaccinated
foreign tourists since August 1.

   Saudi Arabia also announced that fully-inoculated sports fans will from
Sunday be allowed to attend events at all stadiums and other sports
facilities, reported SPA.

   It has also said that masks in most open spaces are no longer mandatory.

   Saudi Arabia has registered over 547,000 coronavirus cases and 8,760
deaths.