Doha: Saudi Arabia said Saturday it would permit one million Muslims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year’s hajj, a sharp uptick after Covid-19 restrictions forced two years of drastically pared-down pilgrimages.
The hajj ministry “has authorised one million pilgrims, both foreign and domestic, to perform the hajj this year,” it said in a statement.
The kingdom’s ministry of Haj said the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca this year will be for those under 65 and that pilgrims must be fully vaccinated, SPA reported.
The ministry added that pilgrims from abroad must also present a negative Covid-19 PCR test and that health precautions would be observed.
