Saudi Arabia restricts Hajj for only locals over COVID-19
Monday, 14 June 2021 (16:59 IST)
Riyadh: In view of the ongoing pandemic situation, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has decided to limit this year's Hajj only to the Saudi nationals and residents.
According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), no more than 60,000 Muslims would be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage this year.
Notably, this would be the second year-in-a-row that foreigners would be barred from visiting their holy cities.
Last year, due to the pandemic, the kingdom selected only 10,000 Muslims living in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
The Hajj is the Muslim pilgrimage to the sites of Mecca and Medina, including Masjid al-Haram - the world's most important mosque.
This year's Hajj will take place from July 17-22. (UNI)
