Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has urged pilgrims visiting holy sites to wear medical masks, as the start of this year’s haj rituals approaches.
This comes amid an influx of religious tourists and an easing of restrictions on domestic and international travel.
In a statement released on Twitter, the General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque said, “The advisory aims to ensure the safety of pilgrims and that of others.”
The statement emphasized “the importance of commitment to wearing a medical mask and adhering to the instructions of the employees of the presidency and the authorities operating in the Two Holy Mosques.”
As of June 13, about 151,533 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia from countries that benefit from the Makkah Route initiative.
This year Haj is expected to start on June 26.
The Kingdom expects to receive two million pilgrims during this season. For being the first to be held completely without restrictions after varying closures in recent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
Saudi Arabia received 2.5 million pilgrims in 2019, the last season before the pandemic.
