RIYADH: Saudi authorities have announced that this year’s Hajj will start on 29th July after it was scaled back to include only around 1,000 pilgrims due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year’s Hajj will be held under strict hygiene protocols, with access limited to pilgrims under 65 years old and without any chronic illnesses.
“The stand of pilgrims on Mount Arafat, the peak of the Hajj ritual, falls on Thursday,” the official Saudi Press Agency cited the Supreme Court as saying, indicating that Wednesday would be the first day of the annual event.
Last month, Saudi Arabia announced it would hold a “very limited” Hajj as it battles a surge in coronavirus infections. The Kingdom has seen some 253,349 cases so far including 2,523 deaths, the highest toll among the Arab Gulf states.
READ MORE: Saudi Arabia issues coronavirus guidelines for Hajj
Hajj officials said the pilgrimage would be restricted to 1,000 people already present in the kingdom, 70% of them foreigners and the rest Saudis, but some reports have said that 10,000 people may take part.
The Hajj ministry said the ritual will be restricted to medical professionals and security personnel who have recovered from the virus The decision to exclude pilgrims arriving from outside Saudi Arabia is a first in the kingdom’s modern history.
This caused disappointment among Muslims worldwide although many accepted it was necessary due to the pandemic. The pilgrims will be tested for coronavirus before arriving in Makkah and are required to quarantine at home after the ritual, according to health officials.
Saudi Arabia has seen an uptick in both confirmed infections and deaths from COVID-19 since easing movement restrictions in late May. It has yet to restore international air links. The Hajj could be a major source of contagion, as millions of pilgrims are packed into congested religious sites.
The Saudi-based Muslim World League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have backed the government’s move for the health and safety of pilgrims.
A scaled-down Hajj represents a major loss of revenue for the kingdom, already reeling from the virus-induced slowdown and a plunge in oil prices. The Umrah pilgrimage was already suspended in March.
