Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said on Saturday that the Hajj capacity will be increased to 1 million pilgrims this year.
The government’s concern for pilgrims’ safety and the well-being of people visiting the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque led to this decision, according to the ministry, which will be executed in accordance with comprehensive safety requirements.
According to the press statement, the Kingdom is committed to ensuring the uninterrupted performance of Hajj and enabling a huge number of Muslims around the world to fulfil their religious obligations.
Pilgrims must be under 65 years old according to the Gregorian calendar and must be fully immunized with the basic dosages of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, according to the ministry.
Those travelling from outside the country must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test using a sample taken within 72 hours of their arrival in Saudi Arabia.
To preserve their health and well-being, pilgrims must adhere to preventive measures and follow precautionary guidelines while performing their Hajj duties, according to the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The news pleased and overwhelmed Mohsin Tutla, chairman of the World Hajj and Umrah Care Foundation.
“There is so lot to do in such a short amount of time,” he remarked, “but I am confident that every stakeholder in the professional Hajj community will rise to the occasion and assist the 1 million pilgrims in realizing their goals.”
He went on to say that everyone in the industry understands what to do. “The success of Hajj 1443 (2022) will be based on special instructions and directions from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah; bringing international pilgrims to Hajj after two years will be a monumental occasion, providing a profound sense of relief and hope.”
Last year’s Hajj was limited to just 60,000 pilgrims, all of whom came from within the Kingdom, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Endang Jumali, Indonesia’s Hajj and Umrah consul in Jeddah, told that the news from his colleagues in the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah made him extremely delighted.
“This boost in capacity gives us more confidence in our ability to prepare in Indonesia.” I want to express my gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, and I pray that Allah would bless us all and give us the strength to begin our Hajj preparations.”
The declaration is wonderful news for all Muslims, according to Abrar Mirza, Pakistan’s Hajj director general, who added that everyone was looking forward to seeing pilgrims return to Makkah and Madinah.
Muslims should praise the Saudi leadership’s sensible plan of gradually restoring the Hajj without jeopardizing human lives, he said.
“I’m sure the specialists involved in this process worked long and hard hours. Their efforts should be applauded by everyone. The leadership’s vision, backed up by a sound strategy and hard efforts, has yielded results. Now, we Pakistanis are looking forward to undertaking Hajj alongside our Muslim sisters and brothers from around the world,” he added.
