Covid-19: Foreign pilgrims will miss Haj this year too

Dubai - Only people aged between 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated or immunised against the virus.

Saudi Arabia has restricted the annual Haj pilgrimage to its own citizens and residents for the second year running in response to the Covid pandemic, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.

Only people aged between 18 and 65 who have been vaccinated or immunised against the virus, and are free of chronic diseases, will be able to take part, the ministry that manages the pilgrimage said in a statement carried by SPA. It also set a maximum of 60,000 participants.

“The decision (was made) to guarantee the safety of the Haj amid uncertainty over the coronavirus,” the kingdom’s Health Minister Tawfiq Al Rabiah said in a televised Press conference.

The announcement by the kingdom comes after it ran an incredibly pared-down pilgrimage last year due to the pandemic but still allowed a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual ceremony. Last year, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the Haj.

The UAE has welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to limit registration for this year’s pilgrimage to citizens and residents of the kingdom in light of the pandemic.

Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, the Minister of State, said the UAE welcomes the kingdom’s decision and supports all measures it takes as part of efforts to fight the pandemic, contain its spread and ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims and the community.

“The scientific achievements of Saudi Arabia recently testify to the importance the kingdom attaches to science as the key driver in supporting healthcare and overcoming the major challenges from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.