Official Laments Saudi Decision on Hajj
Akbar Rezaei said the organization had made all the necessary preparations for sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Despite the fact that many Islamic countries have started vaccinations against COVID-19, and that Riyadh has conditioned entering the kingdom on negative coronavirus test results and physical health of passengers, it was expected that this year’s Hajj would be held with the participation of pilgrims from other countries, he said.
But unfortunately, Rezaei added, this is not going to happen and like last year, pilgrims from Islamic countries will not be able to perform Hajj.
Saudi Arabia announced Saturday it will allow 60,000 residents vaccinated against COVID-19 to perform this year's Hajj, but Muslims from abroad will be barred for a second straight year.
Hajj -- a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lives -- typically packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites and could be a major source of contagion amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This year it would be "open for nationals and residents of the kingdom, limited to 60,000 pilgrims", the Hajj ministry said, quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The pilgrimage, scheduled to be held in July, would be limited to those who have been vaccinated and are aged 18-65 with no chronic illnesses, it said.
Only up to 10,000 Muslims took part in Hajj in July last year, a far cry from the 2.5 million who participated in the five-day annual pilgrimage in 2019 before the pandemic.
