WEB DESK
Saudi Arabia today halted travel to Kaaba the holiest sites in Islam in Makkah over fears about a new viral epidemic just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, according to a statement by Saudi Foreign Ministry.
The move comes as the Middle East has over 220 confirmed cases of the illness.
The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Makkah and the Kaaba. Travel was also suspended to Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina the statement said.
The decision showed the worry about the outbreak potentially spreading into Saudi Arabia, whose monarchy stakes its legitimacy on protecting Islam’s holy sites.