Millions of Muslims allowed to 'hajj', the annual pilgrimage to Mecca

Pilgrims perform the "Tawaf" ritual around the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 17, 2021. © REUTERS - Ahmed Yosri

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Saudi Arabia will allow one million Muslims, Saudis or from around the world, to participate in the "hajj" pilgrimage this year, a figure up sharply from previous years, marked by the Covid-19 epidemic.

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The ministry of

hajj

, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, authorizes " 

one million pilgrims, foreign or national, to perform the

hajj

this year

 ".

The government wants to ensure the safety of pilgrims " 

while ensuring that as many Muslims around the world as possible can perform the

hajj".

One of the five pillars of Islam

One of the five pillars of Islam, the

hajj

must be performed by all Muslims who can afford it at least once in their lifetime.

Usually one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, around 2.5 million people attended in 2019. The pilgrimage was a key source of income for the kingdom, bringing in some $12 billion a year.

Draw in 2021

After the pandemic began in 2020, Saudi authorities only allowed 1,000 pilgrims to participate.

The following year, they allowed 60,000 fully vaccinated residents chosen by lottery.

According to the announcement on Saturday, this year's

hajj

will be limited to vaccinated pilgrims under the age of 65.

Those coming from outside Saudi Arabia will need to present a negative PCR test less than 72 hours old.

(with AFP)

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To read also: Covid-19: in Mecca, a great strictly supervised pilgrimage

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