The Saudi Arabian authorities have announced the end of restrictions on the pilgrimage to Mecca to make it easier for the Muslim population to perform the Haj, one of the fundamental pillars of the religion.
The Minister in charge of the Haj, Tawfiq al Rabiah, announced that, three years after the coronavirus pandemic forced the imposition of restrictions on the event, the number of pilgrims will be able to return to the figures recorded before the outbreak of COVID-19.
Before the pandemic, some 2.5 million Muslims from around the world used to gather every year for the Haj, Islam’s largest congregation, in the holy city of Mecca, located on the country’s west coast, some 70 kilometers from Jeddah.
However, in 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, only a few thousand residents of Saudi Arabia were able to perform the Haj amid strict social distancing measures.
By 2021 the number had risen to 60,000 residents, while in 2022 it is estimated that around one million pilgrims were able to undertake their journey to Mecca after it allowed pilgrimage for Muslims from abroad.
However, the restrictions still imposed an age limit of 65 years, which will finally be lifted this year, as reported by the Saudi news agency SPA.
The Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a once-in-a-lifetime obligatory duty for all Muslims who, if they have sufficient financial resources and are physically able, must undertake their journey to Mecca.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
