Only 60,000 Saudi Arabia residents to perform hajj 2021
The government of Saudi Arabia has barred pilgrims from other countries from performing the 2021 Hajj over COVID-19 concerns.
Saudi Arabia’s hajj ministry on Saturday said it will allow only those residing in the country to perform this year’s hajj.
According to the official Saudi Press Agency, the hajj ministry said this year’s pilgrimage would be “open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims”,
The pilgrimage, scheduled to be held at the end of July, would be limited to those who have been vaccinated and are below 65 years of age with no chronic illnesses, it said.
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The statement by the Saudi authorities reads “In light of what the whole world is witnessing with the continuing development of the pandemic COVID-19… and the emergence of new variantions, Hajj 1442 will be limited to the residents and citizens from within the kingdom of Saudi Arabia only (60,000).”
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The total number of pilgrims this year is limited to only 60,000 people for residents of all nationalities and citizens inside the kingdom of Saudi Arabia
“The health status of those wishing to register for Hajj 1442 must be from the following categories: a vaccinated person, a vaccinated person who has completed one dose and spent 14 days or a vaccinated person recovering from infection.”
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Recall that last year, only up to 10,000 Muslims took part in last year, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated in the five-day annual pilgrimage in 2019.
In a relaxation of coronavirus curbs last October, Saudi Arabia opened the Grand Mosque for prayers for the first time in seven months and partially resumed the all-year-round umrah pilgrimage.
Saudi Arabia has so far recorded more than 460,000 coronavirus infections, including 7,536 deaths.