Informed sources said that Saudi Arabia may severely limit the number of pilgrims this year, while officials are pressing to cancel the pilgrimage this season, in order to prevent further outbreaks of the Corona virus after the number of cases in the country exceeded 100,000.
The number of pilgrims annually is about 2.5 million, and official data show that the Kingdom's revenues from Hajj and Umrah reach about 12 billion dollars annually.
Last March, Saudi Arabia requested the suspension of Hajj plans and the suspension of Umrah until further notice.
Two informed sources told Reuters on Monday that the authorities are now considering allowing only symbolic numbers this year, with restrictions including the ban on older pilgrims and additional health checks.
Another source familiar with the matter told the agency that through strict procedures, the authorities believe that it may be possible to allow up to 20% of the regular number of pilgrims for each country.
The three sources said that some officials are still pressing for the abolition of the pilgrimage, which is expected to start in late July.
The government media office and spokesperson for the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Reducing the number of pilgrims or canceling the pilgrimage will add to the pressure on government financial resources that have been affected by lower oil prices and the epidemic, and analysts expect a sharp economic downturn this year.
The Kingdom had stopped international passenger flights last March, and on Friday, it reimposed the curfew in Jeddah, where most of the Hajj trips landed, after high rates of infection in the city.
In 2019, the number of pilgrims performing Umrah reached about 19 million, while the number of pilgrims reached 2.6 million, and the economic reform plan for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to increase the number of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims to 30 million annually, which will make revenues reach 50 billion riyals (13.32 billion Dollars) by 2030.