The downsizing of the Hajj represents a major revenue loss for Saudi Arabia, which is already reeling from the dual shocks of the slowdown caused by the virus and falling oil prices.
The revenues of Hajj and Umrah are about 12 billion dollars annually.
Last year, the foreign press was banned from covering the Hajj, which is usually a huge global media event. And Saudi Arabia has announced that this year’s Hajj season will be limited to its citizens and residents inside the Kingdom, due to the continued spread of the Coronavirus and the emergence of new mutations in the world.
And last year, Saudi Arabia allowed only 1,000 people to perform the Hajj due to the epidemic. Usually, more than two million pilgrims perform the annual pilgrimage.
Priority for those who did not perform Hajj only!
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj held a press conference entitled “The Fifth Periodic Press Conference for Government Communication on the Regulations and Mechanisms of Hajj 1442 AH”, in which it revealed the regulations for Hajj this year.
The ministry said that “the pilgrimage will be for those who receive the vaccine, according to the controls and mechanisms followed in the Kingdom for the categories of immunization, and the electronic systems record everyone who took the vaccine accurately, and there is no possibility of forged certificates.”
The ministry added that “the priority for registration for Hajj this year will be for those who did not perform Hajj during the past five years. She stressed that the arrangements for this year’s pilgrimage were based on the Kingdom’s constant concern for the safety and health of pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia has imposed restrictions on gatherings and closed mosques since the outbreak of the epidemic early last year, but it decided last October to open the Grand Mosque for prayer for the first time in seven months and partially resumed performing Umrah throughout the year.
The limit for Umrah pilgrims is 20,000 per day, with a total of 60,000 worshipers allowed to perform daily prayers at the mosque.
Umrah usually attracts millions of Muslims from around the world each year, but the authorities have said they will allow the pilgrimage to return to full capacity once the threat of the pandemic recedes.
The Saudi authorities continue to prohibit approaching or touching the Black Stone, during rituals.
“Top Precautions”
The Ministry of Hajj said on Saturday, “In light of what the whole world is witnessing due to the Coronavirus epidemic… and the emergence of the government, relevant authorities continued to monitor the global health situation.”
“Given the large crowds that perform the pilgrimage and spend long periods in multiple and specific places, Hajj requires the highest levels of health precautions,” she added in the statement, which was carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that the competent authorities have carefully studied all indicators; To have a working model for Hajj that complies with the highest standards of health requirements.
So far, Saudi Arabia has recorded more than 460,000 cases of coronavirus, including 7,536 deaths. The Ministry of Health said it has provided more than 15 million doses of vaccine for the Coronavirus in a country of more than 34 million people.
