No restrictions on number of Hajj pilgrims this year, announces Saudi Arabia
Hajj pilgrimage
Breaking a three-year rule of restrictions to curb the Covid-19pandemic, Saudi Arabia on Monday announced there will be no limit on the number of pilgrims for this year's Hajj.
The kingdom also scrapped the age limit of 18 to 65 for vaccinated pilgrimsthat was imposed due to the pandemic.
"The number of pilgrims will return to what it was before the pandemic, without any age limit," Umrah Tawfiq al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj was quoted as saying by AFP.
This year's Hajj pilgrimage is scheduled to begin in June. Last year, the kingdom opened its gates for nearly one million peoplewith foreign visitors being allowed for the first time in two years.
WATCH |Saudi Arabia: Women can now attend Hajj without male guardian
In the end, over 900,000 pilgrims, including some 780,000 from abroad visited the holy sites of Mecca and Medina for the pilgrimage.
Last year in October, the Saudi authorities, took another progressive step andannounced that a woman pilgrim no longer needed to be accompanied by a male guardian or 'mahram' to perform Hajj.
Experts believe thatsuch changesare expected to drive the number of pilgrims visiting the country substantially.
Additionally, localreports have stated that the ministry will give priority to those during the registration who have not made the pilgrimage before.
The pilgrimage is one of five pillars of Islam, which all able-bodied Muslims with the means are required to perform at least once.
(With inputs from agencies)
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