The move, while falling short of reinstating normal Hajj conditions, offered hopeful news for many Muslims outside the kingdom who have been barred from making the trip since 2019
One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives. Usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, about 2.5 million people took part in 2019.
But after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Saudi authorities allowed only 1,000 pilgrims to participate.
The following year, they upped the total to 60,000 fully vaccinated Saudi citizens and residents chosen through a lottery.
