TEHRAN- Iranian pilgrims will for the first time in eight years begin regular travel to Saudi Arabia from Dec. 19.

Flights will take off from 10 airports around Iran carrying Iranians traveling on the year-round Umrah pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, according to Fars news agency.

The first dispatch of Iranian Umrah pilgrims will occur on Dec. 19.

China mediated an agreement in March under which Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed full diplomatic relations.

Since 2016, Iranian pilgrims have only been able to complete the haj pilgrimage, a religious duty deemed compulsory for Muslims who aim to carry it out once in their lifetime.    

Iranians are now able to complete the Umrah as well.

Umrah can be taken at any time of the year.

Negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia also aim to re-establish non-religious tourism between the two countries.

As Fars said, up to 70,000 Iranian pilgrims were expected to travel to Saudi Arabia by the end of February 2024.