Kenyan Muslims face uncertainty as Saudi Arabia halts Umrah travel over Ebola concerns

Kenyan Muslims face uncertainty as Saudi Arabia halts Umrah travel over Ebola concerns

Kenyan pilgrims who had paid for flights and Umrah packages face disrupted travel plans as Saudi Arabia bars entry over Ebola fears, with Nairobi urging the Kingdom to reconsider the restrictions.

Kenyan Muslims who had booked flights and paid for Umrah packages have been left uncertain about their pilgrimage plans after Saudi Arabia temporarily suspended visa issuance and entry for travellers from Kenya over concerns about the Ebola outbreak.

The restrictions have disrupted travel arrangements for prospective pilgrims, some of whom had already paid travel agencies for the religious journey to Islam's holiest cities, Makkah and Madinah.

Jiyad Travel Agency-Hajj and Umrah is among the agencies that have notified clients about the development, urging those with existing bookings not to panic as it monitors the situation.

In a travel advisory to its clients, the agency said Saudi Arabia had temporarily suspended Umrah visa issuance and entry for travellers arriving from Kenya as a precautionary measure linked to Ebola.

“Dear valued pilgrims, please be informed that Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended Umrah visa issuance and entry for travellers arriving from Kenya as a precautionary measure related to Ebola. This restriction also applies to travellers who have stayed in Kenya within the 21 days preceding arrival. To all our pilgrims who have already booked, please do not panic. We are closely monitoring the situation and will keep you updated as soon as there are any developments.”

The restriction also covers travellers who have stayed in Kenya within the 21 days before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

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The suspension extends beyond Umrah visas, with Saudi Arabia halting the issuance of all categories of visas to travellers from Kenya and barring their entry into the Kingdom.

The measures were announced on October 30 following an assessment by Saudi health authorities.

They also apply to travellers transiting through third countries if they have stayed in Kenya or another country experiencing an Ebola outbreak within the 21 days preceding their arrival in Saudi Arabia.

This means Kenyan travellers cannot bypass the restrictions by booking connecting flights through other countries. Saudi authorities are considering passengers' recent travel histories, not just the countries from which they board their final flights.

For Muslims planning to perform Umrah, the suspension means their journeys cannot proceed while the restrictions remain in force, even if they have already secured flights, accommodation and other travel arrangements.

Umrah is a pilgrimage to Makkah that Muslims can undertake throughout the year, unlike Hajj, which takes place on specific dates in the Islamic calendar.

The suspension has therefore disrupted plans for thousands of prospective pilgrims, including those with confirmed bookings and payments already made.

One of the immediate concerns for affected travellers is the fate of money already paid for flights, accommodation, visas and complete Umrah packages.

However, Saudi Arabia has not specified how long the restrictions will remain in force or the conditions that must be met before they are lifted.

The measures are part of the Kingdom's precautionary efforts to prevent the possible spread of Ebola into its territory.

The Saudi Public Health Authority, known as Weqaya, said the country's health situation remained stable and was under continuous monitoring.

The latest restrictions build on measures introduced in July 2019 and strengthened in May 2026 targeting travellers from countries considered at risk of Ebola outbreaks.

In June, Saudi Arabia suspended travel by its citizens to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, while also restricting arrivals from those countries.

Kenya has challenged Saudi Arabia's decision, describing the restrictions as excessive and inconsistent with the country's Ebola situation.

In a diplomatic communication to Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs urged the Kingdom to reconsider the measures, warning that they could disrupt religious pilgrimages, employment, education and trade between the two countries.

Kenya maintains that the outbreak has been contained within a single cluster linked to an imported case reported on October 6.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said eight confirmed cases had been linked to the index case, including four healthcare workers and four close family members. The country had recorded two deaths, with no new infections reported since October 19.

The Ministry of Health said all 135 contacts linked to the index case had been identified and traced, with 118 placed under quarantine as part of containment measures.

Kenya has also argued that the World Health Organisation (WHO) advised against travel and trade restrictions, urging Saudi Arabia to provide scientific justification for its decision under the International Health Regulations.

The government says it is prepared to provide Saudi health authorities with a technical briefing on the outbreak as diplomatic engagements continue.

There is no confirmed date for the resumption of Umrah travel from Kenya.

Saudi Arabia has yet to announce how long the restrictions will last or outline specific conditions for lifting them, leaving Kenyan pilgrims waiting for further communication from the Kingdom's authorities and updates from their travel agencies.