It is the fear of the spread of new variants of the corona virus. That is why Saudi Arabia is again drastically reducing the number of pilgrims on the Muslim pilgrimage Hajj. This year, only 60,000 believers are likely to take part, reported the state news agency SPA, citing the Saudi Hajj Ministry. The pilgrimage is only allowed to believers who live in the kingdom. So nobody is allowed to enter from other countries. The pilgrims must also be vaccinated and between 18 and 65 years old. This will create a “safe environment” in Mecca to protect the health of the pilgrims, it said.
Keeping your distance and wearing masks – that was the motto of the Hajj last year
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Most of the pilgrims are foreigners – usually
Last year, the number of participants was severely limited due to the corona pandemic. At that time only a few thousand were allowed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. In 2019, more than two million Muslims took part in the pilgrimage to the city that was holy for them. Most of them came from abroad.
Prestige for the king
This year the pilgrimage begins in mid-July. The Hajj and the small Umrah pilgrimage usually bring important income to the kingdom. In addition, the Saudi King Salman gains part of his legitimacy from his sovereignty over the cities of Mecca and Medina, which are considered the cradle of Islam. So far, around 464,000 infections with the coronavirus have been reported in Saudi Arabia. The country with around 34 million inhabitants started its vaccination campaign in December. So far, around 15.6 million vaccinations have been administered.
fab/uh (dpa, rtr, JHU)
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