Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah opened on Monday July 6, 2020 the registration for those wishing to perform Hajj this year through its website. According to reports, there will be a total of 10,000 pilgrims, of which 70 percent will be foreigners residing in the Kingdom while the remaining 30 percent will be Saudis.
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi pilgrims will be strictly chosen among Saudi healthcare workers and security personnel who had fully recovered from COVID-19. These Pilgrims will be selected from the COVID-19 recovery database, in so much as they meet established health criteria. This is a token of appreciation for their role in providing care for our society as it fought the pandemic, as per the press release.
The Ministry indicated it will prioritize medically-fit non-Saudi residents who have undergone a negative PCR test; are first-time pilgrims, and are 20 to 50 years old. Those are selected will be asked to abide by a quarantine period decided by the Ministry of Health before and after performing Hajj.
The Ministry also explained that the selection of non-Saudi pilgrims would be carried out electronically and would cover medically-fit registrants. Those selected will be required to submit all necessary documents within a predetermined period.
The Ministry reaffirmed the Saudi government’s eagerness for a successful organization of Hajj while upholding the best health standards and due precautions, to ensure the pilgrims’ safety. The Ministry added that special organization plans have been made for Hajj 2020, including top healthcare services, as well as appropriate segmentation plans which apply all the requirements set by the Ministry of Health. These plans will be implemented thoroughly and rigorously to ensure the safety of all pilgrims.
The Hajj to the Holy City of Makkah in Saudi Arabia is considered the world’s largest human gathering with almost 2.5 million pilgrims having attended in 2019. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be no more than 10,000 domestic pilgrims.
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