Saudi Arabia announced over the weekend that this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, as authorities seek to build on progress combatting the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
It is the second year that Saudi Arabia has been forced to choose the path that prioritizes safety over tradition in curbing the number of followers of Islam that are able to perform the Hajj. Last year, Saudi Arabia hosted an even smaller number of local pilgrims for the Hajj as vaccines were not yet available.
A statement on the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the kingdom’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry making the announcement. It said this year’s Hajj, which will begin in mid-July, will be limited to those ages 18 to 65, and they must be vaccinated against the Coronavirus, according to the Associated Press.
Worshippers at the 2020 Hajj.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is honored to host pilgrims every year, confirms that this arrangement comes out of its constant concern for the health, safety and security of pilgrims as well as the safety of their countries,” the statement from the Ministry said.
Last year’s Hajj saw as few as 1,000 people attend due to the pandemic.
In addition to being a honor for Saudi authorities, the Hajj also brings significant income for local businesses, airlines, and other industries. An estimated 2.3 million pilgrims assembled for the Hajj in 2018.
Given the nature of the event, the Hajj is always a challenging event for authorities to manage, given the large size of worshippers arriving to the Kingdom all at once. In previous years, fears of the spread of diseases like Ebola and MERS have caused anxiety among planners, as well as the constant threat of terrorism from extremist actors.
The Hajj is a physically demanding rite of Islam, and required of all able-bodied Muslims to perform once in their lifetime.
