Riyadh: As many as three hundred people with disabilities arrived at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah to perform Haj for this year 1443 AH, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
This comes as part of the national initiative launched by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah for the second year in a row, for the pilgrimage of persons with hearing, visual and mobility disabilities, and orphans from all regions of the Kingdom.
The initiative aims to enable people with disabilities and orphans to perform Haj with ease, as part of the efforts made by the Kingdom’s government to serve this precious group in line with Vision 2030.
The ministry has also allocated special tracks for performing rituals inside the feelings and throwing stones in coordination with all service agencies, providing a mufti for the initiative, and volunteers to serve them around the clock.
On Thursday, July 7, one million pilgrims from across the globe amassed in the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia to perform the initial rites of the haj, marking the largest Islamic pilgrimage since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the annual event — a key pillar of Islam.
2020 and 2021 witnessed an exceptional season for Haj and in consideration of the “COVID-19” pandemic.
The Haj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey, which takes believers along the path traveled by the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. Pilgrims spend five days performing a set of rituals aimed at bringing them closer to God.
