Riyadh: In preparation for Haj 2023, which is anticipated to begin on Monday, June 26, several roads in Saudi Arabia are being readied to receive hundreds of thousands of Muslims from around the world.
Deputy Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services, Bader Al-Dalami, inspected several roads leading to the holy sites in the Kingdom and made sure of their readiness to receive pilgrims.
The official travelled through six cities for two days to inspect the safety and maintenance of roads, including a highway connecting the capital Riyadh and Taif in western Saudi Arabia.
In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has intensified its preparations for the upcoming Haj season when numbers of pilgrims will be restored before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first batch of pilgrims is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia next week.
What is Haj?
The Haj pilgrimage to Makkah is a mandatory religious duty that must be performed by those Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it, at least once in a lifetime.
The Kingdom expects to receive two million pilgrims during this season.
The number of pilgrims during the 2022 season reached 899,353, including 779,919 from outside the Kingdom, while the 2021 season was limited to 60,000, compared to only 10,000 in 2020.
