RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has banned international visitors from performing Hajj this year in a bid to control coronavirus in the kingdom.
According to Arab News, the authorities have decided to limit registration for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to citizens and residents of the Kingdom due to prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministries of health and Hajj announced on Saturday that a total of 60,000 pilgrims will perform Hajj this year.
It stressed that those wishing to perform pilgrimage must be vaccinated against the virus. People aged from 18 to 65 will be allowed to take part in the rituals.
The decision is “based on the Kingdom’s constant keenness to enable the guests and visitors at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque to perform the rituals of Hajj and Umrah,” the ministry said. “The Kingdom puts human health and safety first.”
The hajj will begin mid-July.
