Kurdish man dies in Mecca after completing Umrah

NEWSROOM — A Kurdish man from the Kurdistan Region died in Mecca on Tuesday after completing the Umrah pilgrimage, marking the fourth death of a Kurdish pilgrim in Saudi Arabia during the holy month of Ramadan, according to officials.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Hajj and Umrah Directorate identified the man as Azad Rahim Karim Bajalan, 48, a resident of the Garmian autonomous administration in Sulaymaniyah governorate. He had driven to Saudi Arabia in his own vehicle to perform Umrah.

“He had no prior health issues and completed the Umrah rituals before passing away suddenly in Mecca,” the directorate said. His body was buried in Mecca.

Karwan Stuni, spokesperson for the General Directorate of Hajj and Umrah, told 964media that 10 Kurdish pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia since the start of the year, including four during Ramadan.

A large number of Kurdish citizens have applied for Saudi visas through licensed Hajj and Umrah companies to perform Umrah during Ramadan, a period of heightened religious significance for Muslims. The tradition is rooted in a saying of the Prophet Muhammad: “Performing Umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj.”