Saudi Arabia announces strict measures for Hajj 2021 due to COVID-19

The Saudi Arabian government has issued the policy for Hajj 2021 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. No foreign pilgrims will be allowed to perform the Hajj once again this year. Only 60,000 pilgrims will be allowed to perform the annual pilgrimage this year from citizens and residents, the Saudi Press Agency reported Saturday. “In light of what the whole world is witnessing from the continuing developments of the coronavirus pandemic and the emergence of new mutations, Hajj registration will be limited to residents and citizens from inside the Kingdom only,” the Saudi Hajj ministry announced on Twitter.

Only people aged between 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated will be able to take part, it added. It added that those wishing to perform Hajj must be free of any chronic diseases. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. Only around 10,000 residents of Saudi Arabia were allowed last year. On the contrary, 2.5 million Muslims from around the world had taken Hajj pilgrimage in 2019.Earlier, Saudi Commerce Minister Majid Al-Qasabi on Sunday said that mutations of novel coronavirus and uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 vaccines had led to the delay in announcing the details of Haj 2021.