By Iliya Kure
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says only 1 million intending pilgrims will take part in the 2022 Hajj.
In a tweet via its official handle, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says the figure would be for both foreign and domestic intending pilgrims.
It further states that the Kingdom is seeking to preserve the success it recorded in handling the Covid-19 pandemic, thus, those under the age of 65 would be allowed to perform the pilgrimage with a 72-hour pre-departure negative PCR test.
The statement in part reads, “The number of pilgrims coming from specific countries for this year’s Hajj will be in accordance with the quotas allocated to each country and in consideration of compliance with all health recommendations.
“The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has announced that this year’s Hajj will be conducted according to the following regulations: This year’s Hajj is open to those who are under 65 years old and have received the main Covid-19 vaccinations approved by the Saudi Ministry of Health.
“Pilgrims coming from outside the Kingdom are required to submit a negative Covid-19 PCR test result from a test performed within 72 hours of the time of departure to the Kingdom. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has instructed that all pilgrims must follow the health instructions and comply with all precautionary measures to preserve their health and safety while performing the Hajj rituals.”
Foreign pilgrims were barred from hajj for two years following the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, with only 60,000 Saudi nationals allowed for the 2021 pilgrimage.
At its peak, the country accommodated only two million pilgrims all over the world to perform hajj.