No foreigner would be allowed into the prayer ground for the 2021 Hajj pilgrimage as the Saudi Arabia authorities have restricted the yearly religious ritual scheduled to commence in mid-July to only nationals.
Only about 60,000 residents and nationals living in the Kingdom would be allowed to perform the Hajj this year, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced in a statement Saturday, citing the COVID-19, outbreak.
The outbreak, which has been devastating the world since two years now, and has since been graded a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), prevented religious activities across the world for since it began in 2019, including Hajj and Christian pilgrimages to Israel as the host countries shut their doors to outsiders.
The Ministry said in a Twitter post:“In light of what the whole world is witnessing from the continuing developments of the coronavirus pandemic and the emergence of new mutations, Hajj registration will be limited to residents and citizens from inside the Kingdom only.
“Those who are between the ages of 18-65 and are fully vaccinated, have received their first dose at least 14 days prior, or those who are vaccinated and have recovered from a COVID-19 infection are allowed to register. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirms that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always prioritises the safety, health and security of pilgrims,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
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