ocr: Saudi Arabia does - not encourage foreign tourism. Only Muslim pilgrims, businesspeople and foreign workers are permitted entry.Non-Mushims are banned from the holy cities. Over two million Muslims perform the "haj" pilgrimage) in the twelfth month of the Arabic year. Muslims are expectedto carly out the "haj" at least once in their life, and strict quotas have had to be imposed to avoid massive overcrowding. Many choose Jiddah as a base from which to begin the pilgrimage. The "umra," or little pilgrimage, has also become popular, as it can be made at any time ofyear. The royal family has spen ...
