Amid coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia to hold 'very limited' hajj this year
Mecca Madina Hajj pilgrimage
SaudiArabia has announced it will hold a "very limited" hajj this year, with pilgrims already presentin the kingdom allowed to perform the annual ritual.
The development comes as the country moves to containthe biggest coronavirus outbreak in the Gulf.
The decision marks the first time inSaudiArabia's modern history that Muslims outside the kingdom have been barred from performing the hajj, which last year drew 2.5 million pilgrims.
The kingdom's hajj ministry said the ritual will be open to various nationalities already inSaudiArabia, but it did not specify a number.
"It was decided to hold the pilgrimage this year with very limited numbers... with different nationalities in the kingdom," the officialSaudiPress Agency said on Monday, citing the ministry.
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"This decision is taken to ensure the hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective... and in accordance with the teachings of Islam."
The hajj -- a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime -- could be a major source of contagion, as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites.
The decision comes asSaudiArabia grapples to contain a major spike in virus, which have now risen to more than 161,000 cases -- the highest in the Gulf -- and over 1,300 deaths.
But despite the surge,SaudiArabia on Sunday moved to end a coronavirus curfew across the kingdom and lift restrictions on businesses, including cinemas and other entertainment venues.
(With inputs from AFP)